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 m🥃anufacturer’s works outfit in 2026, have endured a torrid season.

The Swiss team have the slo🍌west car on the grid and are anchored to the bottom of the constructors’ championship without a single point to their name in 2024.

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

"It’s no🌳t only climbing a big mountain, it’s climbing Everest. It will take several years," Binotto told .

"Our ob🐽jective is by the end of the decade to be able to fight for🏅 the championships.

“When you are here and you start looking into the details, the more you look, the more you realise where꧙ you are and what are the main differences to what I knew from before from Ferrari.

"Certainly the𓃲 gap and the differences are many and🀅 the gap is big.

"It’s big because of dimensions, because of number of people, because of mind𝓀set, because of tooܫls, facilities. Whatever you look around, it is really comparing a small team to a top team.”

Binotto added: "We are in F1 until we win and after. It is a long-term commitment. We have joined ওF1 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 joining🍰 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 drive🍸r line-up for the 2025 season alongside new signing Nico Hulkenberg.

Current incumbent Valtteri Bottas is a leading contender, along with Williams stand-in Franco Colapinto and Formula 2 championship leader Gabriel Bo൩rtoleto.

Binotto has confirmed that Mercedes reser♊ve driver Mick Schumacher, who lost his full-time F1 seat with Haas at the end of 2022, is ꧙also in the frame.