New Audi chief Mattia Binotto has admitted the task of turning the current Sauber team into F1 winners will be like “climbing Everest”.

Sauber, the team which has been bought by Audi and will transform into the German manufacturer’s w🔥orks outfit in 2026, have endured a torrid season.

The Swiss team have the slowest car on the grid and are anchored to the bᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚottom of the constructors’ championship without a single point to their nam﷽e in 2024.

Former Ferrari team principal Binotto has been tasked with spe🧸arheading Audi’s F1 project and has acknowledged the challenge Sauber/Audi face if they are to be⛦ competitive in the coming years.

"It’s not only climbing a big mountain, it’s climbing Everest. It will take several years," Binotto toldꦫ .

"Our objective is by the end of the decade🍸 to be able to fighꦆt for the championships.

“When you are here and you start looking into the details, the more you look, the more you realise where you are and what are the main diff💞erences to what I knew from before from Ferrari.

"Certainly the gap an♐d the differences are many and the gap is big.

"It’s big because of dimensions, because of number of people, because of mindset, because of tools, faciliti♓es. What🌼ever you look around, it is really comparing a small team to a top team.”

Binotto added: "We are i🥂n F1 until we win and after. It is a long-term commitmᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚent. We have joined F1 to be here and stay here.

"We intend to become a winning team and to set the benchmark and to stay then. It is ♎not a joinin🉐g and leaving. F1 is the pinnacle of the motorsport, it is great Audi is part of it finally and they are simply committed to stay."

Sauber are yet to decide who will complete their driver line-up for the 2025 season alongside new signing Nic♑o Hulkenberg.

Current incumbent Valtteri Bottas is a leading contender, along with Williams stand-in Franco Colapinto and Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bortole🐟to.

B𒊎inotto has confirmed that Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher, who lost his full-time F1 seat with Haas at the end of 2022, is also in the frame.