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November 14, 2025
Senior engineers Wolf Zimmermann and Lars Schmidt have defected to Audi, as wave of shock Ferrari F1 departures cause huge upheaval within Maranello’s technical department ahead of 2026 F1 season.
The two key members of the Scuderia’s engine development program are set to join Mattia Binotto at Audi ahead of the major Formula 1 regulation changes coming next season.
Wolf Zimmermann has been a cornerstone of Ferrari power unit development since joining the team in 2014 at the personal request of Binotto who was team principal at the time.
Zimmermann is widely regarded as a brilliant engineer and was often described in the paddock as the “father” of Ferrari’s engine successes during the hybrid era.
His hallmark achievement was the development of the so-called ‘Superfast’ power unit which was a critical factor in recent competitive gains for the Italian team.
More importantly, Zimmermann was leading the development of Ferrari’s next-generation power unit, specifically designed to meet the sweeping regulatory changes scheduled for 2026 F1.
His departure just months before the introduction of new regulations is seen as a major setback for Ferrari’s 2026 campaign.
Meanwhile, Lars Schmidt, who has served as Zimmermann’s deputy and head of development for Ferrari’s internal combustion engine program is also departing for Audi.
Schmidt had served at Maranello for around nine years and was integral to the refinement and performance uplift of Ferrari power unit technologies. His technical expertise and close working relationship with Zimmermann made the duo a formidable force behind engine development.
The timing and circumstances behind the appalling Ferrari F1 departures raise troubling questions over internal stability within Ferrari’s technical department.
Reports from inside the paddock suggest that there has been unrest and dissatisfaction within the Maranello walls as the team struggles to solidify its 2026 power unit under the new 50-50 hybrid formula regulations.
Ferrari is facing stiff competition from rivals like Mercedes and others who appear to be progressing efficiently with their 2026 projects.
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The exit of Zimmermann and Schmidt has sparked widespread speculation about Ferrari’s current engine development path and its ability to deliver a competitive power unit for the future.
What makes these exits even more striking is their connection to Mattia Binotto, Ferrari’s former chief technical officer and team principal.
After leaving Ferrari at end of 2023, Binotto has since taken charge of Audi’s F1 project which is set to make full factory team debut in 2026 through partnership with Sauber under the Audi banner.
The automaker is aggressively assembling a top-tier technical team to rival established competitors, thus, the arrival of Zimmermann and Schmidt is a major coup for the team.
Ferrari team principal Fréd Vasseur has publicly tried to downplay the situation, framing it as a normal turnover of personnel within the sport.
Autoracer reports that the work of Zimmerman and Schmidt in the conceptual design of the power unit was completed several months ago, with head of Ferrari power unit development Enrico Gualtieri already scheduling tests on the dyno for the new engine and transmissions.
Nonetheless, the optics of losing two key technical figures to a direct competitor at such a critical juncture have inevitably sparked concern among Ferrari supporters and industry insiders alike.
The technical upheaval comes at a time when Ferrari is already facing a challenging season, struggling to convert potential into race victories despite sitting second in the current F1 Championship standings.
Experienced team drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton currently sit fifth and sixth in the drivers’ standings.
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