Audi F1 has signed Max Verstappen’s top mechanic from Red Bull, according to new reports, as the German manufacturer looks to bolster their technical staff.
Next season, Audi will join the grid, taking over from Sauber, and the team is already building its brain trust for the takeover.
Reports from The Race indicate that Audi has signed lead Red Bull mechanic Matt Caller, who has been with the Austrian-based team since 2015
Caller was originally the number two mechanic for Verstappen’s car, but in 2022, he got a promotion as the top man in the garage.
The mechanic worked closely with the current Audi team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, who had previously served as the sporting director and pit crew manager for Red Bull during Caller’s time at the team.
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Neither Audi nor Red Bull has confirmed Caller’s move, though The Race claims he will remain in his role for the remainder of the season before completing the switch.
Caller will take on the chief mechanic role at Audi, a notable promotion that will oversee both of the team’s cars next season.
He will replace another former Red Bull employee, Lee Stevenson, who is going to get a promotion himself. Stevenson spent 18 years at Red Bull before leaving in 2024.
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Red Bull has been notably losing key staff over the past couple of seasons, a trend that continues despite the team experiencing a dominant regulatory cycle since 2022.
Adrian Newey and Dan Fallows have both left the team for Aston Martin, while former team principal Christian Horner was ousted over the summer.
Under the new leadership of Laurent Mekies, Red Bull will need to restructure and replace the lost talent with capable personnel. At the same time, Audi hopes that the new additions will help build a winning culture where excellence is the sole goal.