Allan McNish reveals why Mattia Binotto’s Audi call was a ‘no-brainer’

Long-time Audi stalwart Allan McNish says it was a “no-brainer” to accept the role of racing director at the team, after a phone call from Mattia Binotto. The Scot, a former Le Mans winner and Formula E team principal, took over trackside operations following Jonathan Wheatley’s abrupt exit.

Why it matters:

Audi's leadership shuffle comes at a critical time as the team integrates its own power unit for the 2026 season. McNish's deep familiarity with the project — he has been involved from day one — provides stability amid the transition, and his appointment suggests Binotto wants a hands-on deputy to manage race weekends.

The details:

• McNish was approached directly by Binotto, who is now both CEO and team principal at Audi. The role covers all trackside operations, including sporting, strategy and race engineering.
• He continues to oversee Audi's Driver Development Programme, which started at the beginning of 2026.
• Wheatley’s departure was driven by personal matters; he is expected to join Aston Martin under Adrian Newey’s leadership. Tensions with Binotto are also believed to have played a role.
• In his first race as racing director (Miami), Nico Hulkenberg retired with a technical issue while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 12th. McNish described the weekend as a “learning race.”
• Integration challenge: The team must coordinate between its chassis base in Hinwil (Switzerland) and the power unit department in Neuberg (Germany). McNish says the structure is solid but will improve naturally.

What's next:

McNish expects the team’s communication and processes to get better as experience grows. “It’s only going to get better — we’re four months in in real terms,” he said. With Binotto focusing on the power unit and overall leadership, McNish will be the key figure on the ground at races, helping Audi climb the midfield order.