Host / Interviewer

Matia, welcome to high performance. This is a conversation for anyone that at any point in their life has tried to be ambitious and build something that is going to surprise those people around them. So I want to talk about what it takes to build something to the scale that you're trying to build. The Audi Revolut Formula one team. Can we start the moment you walked

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

in the door first? It takes time, it takes long. But as you said, let's start from the very beginning. First I stopped myself working in Ferrari and for many months without a job, simply watching F1 on TV, even trying to understand if still I was so passionate that that would have been my again my job in the future. Waiting for great opportunities and even trying something different. Just let's see, let's see. To try something different that maybe I can be a passionate of. But as matter of fact, I couldn't resist to F1. That's my life since the very beginning. F1 is my blood and somehow you become addicted to it because you are so passionate that you are addicted. So I knew very soon that F1 summer I should have come back, but only if a great opportunity would have been there. It's obvious that somehow some opportunity came, but the one of Audi has been the one that really for me was a no brainer. Because of Audi, because what it represents as a brand, because of the project which still I believe is the most today the most ambitious and incredible in F1. Starting from scratch with such a big a brand where you can create somehow an important legacy that's no doubt the most fascinating, I would say today in F1 and not only in F1, the entire motorsports. So it was a no brainer. So once we had the contacts we discussed, it took us two days to decide and really it has been really a shake hands, move on. Contractual details were only details. I love building whatever it is, I need to build something. And for me somehow building a team was somehow what was the most interesting and fancy and important. So it was not somehow running a team which was already successful. Now it's starting from even not from scratch, from an existing small private team and to turn into a successful a big thing in the future.

Host / Interviewer

So for you personally, what does building something do for you that just being successful doesn't do?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Building is about giving people an opportunity. Building is about creating a team. At the end it's creating a family again. A place where people may enjoy and maybe succeed together. It's not individual success. I'm not interested in individual success. And I think what's great with F1 at the end is a team effort and it's a big team, my dear. It's a lot of people. It's a lot. It's 1500 people total. But somehow creating that culture, that mindset, enjoying together the success, it's somehow what's motivating me.

Host / Interviewer

And if I asked you to describe the culture or the culture that you would dream to have one day, how would you describe that culture?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

I think first, what is culture? Yeah, it's very difficult to define what is a culture because people may say culture is mindset, culture may be

Host / Interviewer

a

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

mentality, a winning mentality, but then you need to translate that into facts, tangible, even measurables, I would say. And the way we define ourselves, the culture is through behaviors. So the behaviors is what you can measure and you can somehow it's tangible. And at the end the culture is the ways that the people are behaving such that you are moving in the right direction and then you are achieving your objective. So it's not only about, let's say it's a winning mentality because then you need to translate into it and for us the behaviors which come the most, ownership, communication and feedback. It's very basic.

Host / Interviewer

Yeah.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

But at the end it's continuous improvement. It's something that you can, as I said, it's simple, basic behaviors. But once you establish them and the entire team, the entire people, the way they interact are behaving in such a way you can make sure that you, you are moving in the right direction.

Host / Interviewer

You know, high performers are usually the ones who are willing to change the way things have always been done. They move faster, they think bigger, they try and remove friction wherever they can. And that's exactly why high performance is partnering with Revolut business. Because if you are running a growing business just like me, and you're dealing with overseas suppliers, international payments, travel, multiple currencies, I know they can slow you down when you need momentum. And Revolut business multi currency accounts can actually help you operate globally with less friction, letting you hold extra exchange and manage over 25 currencies all in one account. So whether you're, I don't know, paying suppliers abroad, managing international spending or perhaps traveling between markets, you get more clarity, more flexibility and more control. This is built for ambitious businesses that think beyond borders. And you know, right now and listen to this, High performance listeners can get a 200 pound welcome bonus. I mean, how amazing is that? By just signing up through the link in the description and adding money to Your account by September 30, 2026, subscription fees and Ts and Cs apply. I think this is very interesting because I spoke with a senior Formula One CEO, shall we say, not long ago, and I asked them the question about culture and they said, oh well, our culture is people following the rules. And we had to have a conversation and we both or I managed to get him to a point where he understood that rules don't create a culture, rules enforce a culture.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Right?

Host / Interviewer

So this idea of behaviors I think is very interesting because my version of hard work might be different to yours. Peter, over there's version of commitment might be different to Will's version of commitment. So how, how do you get people to understand what your set of behaviors are and what they look like?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

So, so first back to the culture and the definition because I think you need to explain to the team, first you need a clear objective and then you need to measure what's missing to achieve the objective. What's the gap? And often when you ask to your team, what's the gap? What do we need to achieve the objective? The immediate answer will be, we need more money, we need more investment, more tools, more infrastructure, more space, more people. But then the culture is one of the pillar, the behaviors. So you can have all the resources you need, you can have all the people and number of people, you need all the skills. But if the team do not behave properly, you will be unsuccessful. So the behaviors are one of the most important pillars for an F1 team to become successful. The way we are explaining it as well to the team is we take the image of an iceberg and the part which is below the sea level is the smallest part of the iceberg, but the one which is visible. And that's the strategy, the plans, the objective, visible to everyone. But at the end, the iceberg will move for the quantity of the mass which is below the sea level, because that's what makes the iceberg moving. And that's about habits, fears, the way that the people are behaving. And if you are not addressing those behaviors, the iceberg may not move in the right direction compared to the objective. So you need to act on those behaviors, being aware of fears, habits, past culture. As for us in the team, it was a team from Sauber, So completely different objectives, ambitions, targets, certainly with a specific culture. Now it's changing a lot. We are hiring people multi multicultural, because as well multinationality in the team, different ages. So you need to act on the behaviors to make sure that the iceberg is Moving on the right directions and the set of behaviors. As I said, when it's about ownership, it's about accountability, feeling responsible and you can measure it, how the people feel responsible towards actions. And that can be the same with communication and feedback, clarity on priorities, the way you feedback in meetings. So it's a clear set of behaviors that you can see, measure, discuss, even feedback assessments to the employees from the bosses. Are you behaving properly as described as indicated? But creating that culture takes time. That's the point. It takes time to identify the behaviors which are required. It takes time to explain it to all employees what it's about, the importance of it, making sure that the leadership are role models, otherwise it will never be somehow implemented. And then it's through insisting on it by creating specific opportunities, workshops that long term you will see that those behaviors will be implemented.

Host / Interviewer

One of the really fascinating things that you have to manage as well as managing drivers and managing your people and managing your travel and managing your own workload, is managing money because there's a cost cap in Formula one. And I'm interested in your partnership with Revolut business and how important they are to helping you guide your team to really understand the importance of looking after those finances.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

No doubt very important. Revolut in finance got obviously an experience which is incredible. And for us it's the exchanges we are having with them, they are supporting us. We may have questions and you will have immediate feedback. But as well, in all our financial transactions they need to be efficient. Even in supply chain. It's a global to the global supply chain. You've got supplies around the world, you need to be fast, you need to be lean. And the Revolut for us is important, I would say even essential because it makes it happening and happening properly. And you know that it's a no brainer. No, it's like one problem less. And so it's again, partnerships are important. Partnering with Revolut is a game changer for us.

Host / Interviewer

Can I talk about your life leading up to this point that I think would have taught you so many things about what leadership looks like, what standards look like. I mean you worked with Ross Brawn and Jean Todd and Michael Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso. Could we go through some of those fascinating people that you spent your early F1 career with and find the biggest lessons from those people? And I guess can we start with Michael Schumacher? Is that a good place to begin?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

The best leader maybe I've met often I describe him not as the best driver, but the best leader. First, I have to say I've been very lucky. Right. I've been. Been working with a lot of source fantastic leaders. And at the time of Michael, Jean Todd, Ross Brown Domenicali was Montezema. So I think for a young graduate, as I was so much to learn. And so for me, that's been an incredible school. Andrea Estella was as young as I was in the team. So a lot of us had the luxury, I would say, to be part of that team because of the leaders we had at the time and so much to learn. So Michael was an incredible driver. No doubt fast, immediately fast. A single lap and he was already at the limit of the car. But he was an incredible leader as well. And when I'm saying he was an incredible leader, he was so demanding, he was so. But giving. Being always a role model, he was always there to. To push the team, but to push himself and somehow to encourage the team and to protect the team. So as much as he was as much he was demanding, he was there as well to protect whenever a mistake was happening. So, so many mistakes have happened. Satin never mentioned a single word on the radio in front of a camera or an interview. And protecting all of the teams. And everyone was so, at the end, so motivated working with him because everybody knew that they could act in an environment where ambition were very high. Yes. But where mistakes were possible. And I think that was somehow his strengths. And we all were honestly pushing so much for him because whatever happened, he was there to say, okay, no problem. Try to do better next time, and next time we will win together. And he was motivating. He was really motivating yourself.

Host / Interviewer

And I think you can often judge people like Michael Schumacher not with the way they talk to a Ross Brawn or a Jean Tod or their fellow driver, the way they talk to someone like you who comes in at the very bottom of the Formula one ladder. What was he like with you in those early days?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

At the bottom, he knew everyone. He knew exactly what was the necessity of everyone. He was taking care of each single person around him in the necessities. And it was not only when he was simply winning that then it's easy. No, you're winning. We are all together. You're celebrating. It was in the most difficult moment. And if you had any problem, he was next to you to help you. And he was even coming spontaneously to ask if anything was required, any help, really. Yeah. If it was cold, he brought you his own jacket to cover you. And it doesn't matter him. So it was really there to demanding on one side, because high demanding, but very. Let me say very. He was a team player, but the leader of the team.

Host / Interviewer

A few other Formula one world champions that you were lucky to share the team with. I mean, Kimi Raikkonen is also an equally fascinating character, but in a very different way to Michael Schumacher. What's the biggest thing that you think you learned from Kimmy?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Kim is an incredible person because at the end, as you said, very different character, very silent maybe, but once he's in confidence, he never stops talking. So at the end with him, you need to be straight and forward and honest. And I think acting in a honest, transparent manner is what you will learn with him. Direct, honest, proper feedback, loyal. And then again, when on track, in the cockpit, visor down, he was so fast and talented that it was so nice to work with him because, you know, once on track, once, whatever, you couldn't do yourself, the plus, he would add it himself.

Host / Interviewer

And then Fernando comes in, another world champion. And I'll never forget his face at the end of the season when he couldn't believe he hadn't won the world title. And I think the whole world wanted him to be a world champion in a Ferrari. I wonder what you learned from him in the face of not quite getting what he wanted necessarily, or giving the Tifosi what he knew they wanted.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Very smart person. Hungry. Really hungry. And you can see him today as well, still being there, fighting for whatever he can, still willing to prove how much is capable. I think that being hungry is somehow what, again, you. You may learn from. From. From Fernando, because it's. Once he's on track, everyone is a competitor.

Host / Interviewer

Yeah.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

And it's. And then it's about really reaching always the maximum. Doesn't matter what. I enjoyed the time as much as you said now that race in Abu Dhabi was for us, so difficult. So difficult. Still today.

Host / Interviewer

Really.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Yeah, still today. If you think back, because that has changed, I think I would say even the life for many of us, that's been the case of Fernando himself, Andrea Stella, moving in another team, Stefano Domenical. So it has changed a lot. Not just as well for Stefano as in principal not winning the champions. So I think it's still hurting.

Host / Interviewer

And those leaders that you had there outside the car, from Stefano, Luca Ross, I wonder, Jean, I wonder which of them. Which is the leadership style of those people you've taken the most from into your work now with Audi.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

I think at the end it's a mix. Is it? Yeah. It's difficult to say it's from one specifically. So what have I seen?

Host / Interviewer

What have you taken from here?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

From Jean? Hard worker.

Host / Interviewer

Yeah,

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

he was hard working and going in all the, the details of the company. No stones unturned. Very good. And I think that's, that's certainly from Jean, from Michael, as I said, protecting the team in difficult moments. Ross, one of the best leader I've seen. Always his capacity to come to a decision by convincing everyone of the decisions. It was really a participative leadership. So you come to the conclusion with a proper reasoning where everyone would be convinced from it. Very, very diplomatic, but such a strong leadership that everybody would believe in what he would say. So it's no discussion. It's Luca Monte Molo. High motivation, motivating people, the capacity of boosting and giving energy to an entire team. So I think all of them, Stefano, very balanced, always very balanced. And I think that as well, knowing in difficult moments to stay balance is important. So I think there is always a lot to learn from everyone. And then you create your own, your own personality, your own. And then obviously to be as good as grades have been such a challenge because they have been successful, they have proved that they have been the best at the time. But it's inspiring at the end. So you are inspired by them. And often I have to say myself, difficult moments. I'm always thinking what Russ would have been doing in such a situation or what Jean would have been doing in such a situation. I think it's, it's helpful the way to approach maybe the facts or the

Host / Interviewer

difficulties and the reason why I think that's so fascinating for your leadership style. Now, Audi, is that as much as you know that it's the most exciting project on the grid, I actually think it's also the most difficult because if you build a new team like Cadillac, you can build it from zero and you are responsible for creating it. If you go into Red Bull or Mercedes, you go into a already created winning culture. You've, you're in this really interesting place where you've gone into a team that already existed in Sauber, but a team that were like just fighting to get enough money to go racing and they were just getting on the grid was the achievement for them. And then you come in and go four years and we're the world champions. So there are some people who are new and fresh and they're inspired by your message. There are other people who have been on the journey with Sauber and they have to actually unlearn a lot of their behaviors before they can learn the direction you're going.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

You said as much. It's challenging, it's difficult. As a matter of fact, it's challenging because it's difficult. But you're right, I think sometimes it's better starting from scratch than the situation we have at Audi at the moment. Because to turn Sauber into a winning mentality, it's not easy. Because once a person got his own culture, his own habits or behaviors, to change them, we know it's not easy. And as you said, if I look at our team today, it's not anymore Sauber. A lot of people from Sauber have left, some have remained. New people are joining, good specialists or leaders from the other teams. From teams. A lot of young people, we are investing along on youth. Even last year, 60 young graduates joining the team. Really? Yeah, from different area of the world. So even different, let me say nationalities, languages. And we are investing a lot on those young people because we believe that will be our future. Young and diversity. So we've got a proper graduate programs implemented. We've got in Zurich one of the best universities in the world. But it's not the only one where we are somehow attracting young, young people. We've got an Engineering Academy in place. Again, try to select the best engineers in the world that may become the leaders in the future. So we implemented the Engineering Academy last year. It was six students participating, but they have been recruited out of more than 4,000 applications. So once we published it in two weeks we had more than 4,000 applications. And that's for us. It's at least what's fascinating me. I believe that our future will be a winning future because of thanks to the young people we are hiring today. That will be the base of our. The foundations of our team in the future. And that all the investment, no, maybe you need to wait two, three years to see the return. So we know that with the young people, high energy, a lot, very smart, aware of the latest technologies, but they need to learn the specific of F1 and that may take two, three years. That's why again, 2030 has an objective. So it's not only about infrastructures that we need to build or technology or tools, but because we are investing on our young team today. And if you would come to Hinville and visit our our company and maybe even going to the canteen and you look around, it's incredible to see how young is the team.

Host / Interviewer

It's funny you say that. Last week I came to Hinville, spoke to Alan, walked around, had a coffee, went up on the roof terrace upstairs. Very nice new building. And you were right. I mean, I know I'm getting older, right?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

Yeah.

Host / Interviewer

But everyone was younger than me and I looked around and I thought, this is really exciting that these young people here, because I think, you know, everyone wants to work in Formula one at the moment, but actually, you know, we're having this conversation thanks to Revolut Business. Every brand seems to want to be in Formula one at the moment. And that's actually a great place for you to be because you can look at everyone that's interested and go, right, who really speaks our language, who really can come on the journey with us. How can we create a deep partnership with a brand? I'm interested what you think a great modern Formula one partnership like the one that you've got with, with Revolut, what does that look like in 2026?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

As first, it's not sponsorship, it's partnership. So it's a matter of. And when it's partnership, it's again, it's bringing value to the project from different angles. It's not only commercial, it's different experience. It's. With Revolut as example, the ways that they are recruiting, we compared because for us, recruitment was. Was an important, let me say, lever for our. For our future. As we said, we are hiring a lot of young people and to compare their approach, hunting, recruiting was. Was a factor, which is nothing to do with finance, nothing to do with the banking, but how different companies, different corporates somehow behaves and. And develop. So it's comparing experience at the end. And as I said, it's diversity so important today in a phone, I think the product is so complex, the company is so complex, it's growing in all the directions. And in the past, in F1, a single person, a technical director, could design the car. It's not possible anymore. Now you need many people interacting together. That brings different ideas, different experience, and we need to be open to those ideas and integrated them into one single product at the end. So the various experience are bringing all those values. And again, in the partnerships, it can be a technical partnership, it can be a different type of partnerships, but the experience of each single, let me say partners brings value to our team.

Host / Interviewer

And I think back to Silverstone last year with Nico getting his first ever podium. And I know that often when a moment like that happens, the driver gets the credit for finally achieving that, but actually it's the movement of the entire team and you were involved, although the team wasn't Audi at that point. You were involved with the team at that point. I'm really interested in just talking briefly about your two drivers. One young guy looking to make his mark in the sport and another guy who a year ago at the British Grand Prix, finally made the mark that he wanted in the sport. Did you notice a difference with Nico in the days after his podium or not?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

I think he was relieved.

Host / Interviewer

Yeah.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

It was so important for him. The joy he was expressing on the podium, after the podium, celebrating with the team was incredible. No, it was. I didn't realize it myself that he was missing the podium.

Host / Interviewer

So, you know.

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

No, so it's not something I was. I had in mind like, oh, we have somehow sooner late to have that podium. For Rico. I only realized once he was on the podiums. That was the very first podium for him after so many races. And for me was somehow incredible because he was. He is such a great driver, fast, consistent. So I was expecting that maybe he had already different podium, so I was not aware of it. But I was so happy for him, really, for him and the team. Because at least I remember when I joined, it was summer 2024. Zero points in the classifications, last and second last. The car was pretty slow. No plan of developments for 25, because everything was somehow focusing on 26. And instead with the team, we said, come on, we need to improve, we need to train our muscles because it's 2030, cannot be 26 hour challenge 2030. And we need to develop the team and we need to have proper plans and we need to improve ourselves. Only by continuous improvement that we can become better. And we set some plans already developing 24. And we scored points by the end of the seasons. And finally in 25, fighting for points at each single race. And with that podium in Silverstone, I think that for the entire team back at Hinville, it has been an incredible achievement. No, it's like even a relief for the team, even more for Nico. And for Nico was pure joy. You could see it and I think celebrating our hospitality. But it was the entire paddock at the end celebrating for him. But it has been. Yeah, it has been great moments.

Host / Interviewer

And what can we say about Gabrielli? Because I think the way Formula one judges young drivers has changed. Now we expect them to come in and be fast. I think Max Verstappen changed the rules really, for rookie drivers. He moved the benchmark forwards. How much do you believe that Gabrielli can be a real force in Formula one?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

That's first. I think that all the rookies today in F1 are great drivers. And they're proving to be great drivers. I think that Gabi has maybe the most potential of them. I'm convinced of that.

Host / Interviewer

What have you seen that makes you believe that?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

So he won the F3. He won the F2 one year after the other. Not many drivers have been capable in one route to win the F3 and the F2. So when we hired him, for me the speed itself was a given because if you win F3 and F2 somehow you're a fast driver. So I was not judging the speed at the time. I was much judging again his attitude, his behaviors. And what impressed me was his first hungry to become champion one day. Second again for him building something special. And I think he has accepted our project knowing that it's a long term project because he's willing to create that legacy as well together with us. Humble, hard worker. He's got all the right attitudes.

Host / Interviewer

Is he too hard on himself when he makes a mistake?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

He's hard on himself. But it's good that I think he's hard at the moment. Then it's down to us to help him to balance the situations. But it's. And I think it's not easy for him to as well to embrace our project because he can see other drivers as rookie has has him maybe on which he was competing at the time of F3 and F2. Maybe today winning in F1 as gaming, but because Kimi has certainly a car that somehow can give him the opportunity to fight for a win. And for Gab is difficult because he knows that maybe he can be as fast as Kimi but he cannot prove it. So because you are an Audi at the moment and you are maybe scoring two points in Australia, that's it. But he knows as well that what he can create with us will be something more important. So on one side it can be frustrating. On the other side he's got a big project ahead and he's got a team that is fully supporting him because we see him working, we see him racing, we have all the telemetry data. We know how strong he is and how fast he is. And I think he knows that. We all know that he will become champion one day. It's only a matter of patience now.

Host / Interviewer

And you've spoken publicly about 2030 being the year that Audi wins the world title. How often do you need to remind the team of that? Or is it so ingrained in the minds of your staff that you don't need to mention it today?

Matia (Audi Revolut Formula One Team Leader)

It's in Brint, obviously at the very start. It's something on which we set very, very soon as an objective and a target myself, as I said, I joined I think August 24th. We were September 24th in Monza with the CEO of Audi, Gernot Lehr, and together in a media briefing we declared 2030. But the 2030 was not by chances, was not simply a number, just move distance, the objective. It was really the conclusion of having assessed the current team, what's required to become champion, how long it will take. And we had, let me say, a proper discussion, a clear discussion. And that was so important to set it very soon to establish the right challenge internally as well, in terms of internal pressure, in terms of ambitions and how long it will take and give visibility on plans. Because as we said before, it was a cyber team with very little resources, being a small private team. And they look at you, okay, we got an objective, you got the plans. And then you need to give them tangible facts that you are moving the right direction with the plans, which what we did. But the teams have known very soon the 2030 and we have declared it in many occasions with the entire team, which I would say it has been immediately in brains and the people, all the employees know it's 2030 and they know the plan, which is even more important. The plan is when we defined the plan, it was more than 70 projects overall to be deployed with proper milestones for each single project. But it's a true business transformation and it's on five different pillars, infrastructures, process, culture, team and skills. So for all of them you've got dedicated single projects. So it's a big transformation, it's a big effort from the team, which makes me as well somehow very confident because in difficult weekends in the last races, we have been through difficult moments when back at Invil, really, yes, we may be frustrated for the single race, but I have no doubts, no doubt that there is not a single team in F1 which is doing as much as we are doing in Inbuilt at the moment. And that's behind the scene. No one sees but the effort that the team is making and putting in transforming that team with all through those projects, plus developing the car, plus improving yourselves, it's pretty impressive.

Host / Interviewer

A powerful way to end. I love the fact Revolut Business have organized this conversation for us. I think you're lucky to have them as a partner. I think they're lucky to have you as partners and I'm rooting for you. And I can't wait to see the celebrations in 2030.