The line-up of Audi’s Formula 1 team is becoming more and more intriguing with every driver announcement made elsewhere.
Fernando Alonso committing his future to Aston Martin closes off another team for those drivers looking to secure a new contract in 2025.
Speaking on The Race Podcast, journalist Edd Straw was discussing who could be joining the German manufacturer.
Two drivers appear to be key to how the F1 driver’s market is going to play out this year.
The first is Max Verstappen with Mercedes desperate to sign the Dutchman if he decides he no longer wants to continue driving for the current constructor’s champions.
The other driver is Carlos Sainz as he seeks his next race seat after losing his place at Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton.
One option on the table for Sainz is Audi and they would like the Spaniard to lead the team when they arrive on the grid in 2026.
However, it looks like Audi might already have a potential teammate for Sainz, with Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg set to join the team next year.
He’s one of several drivers who are in danger of potentially losing their place in F1, but he appears destined for Sauber next year before Audi take their place in the paddock.
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Unsurprisingly, Audi are desperate to sign Carlos Sainz as he’s by far the best driver available on the market right now.
His connection with the team through his father is unlikely to have a big impact on their negotiations, but it all comes down to whether Sainz is willing to commit to a long-term project.
Sauber are one of three teams who have failed to score a point this season and a chronic issue with their pit stops has hampered them greatly.
Zhou Guanyu has qualified last in three out of four races this season, while Valtteri Bottas has been slightly unfortunate not to secure a top-ten finish this year.
However, Audi look set to try and upgrade both of their drivers offering Hulkenberg a new seat on the grid.
The £30,000-a-week German has been brilliant for Haas this season, scoring three points for the team despite concerns in pre-season that they were going to be one of the slowest cars on the grid once again.
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Speaking about Carlos Sainz’s options for 2025, Straw said: “I think he could wait if he thought there was a realistic chance but I think it’s a very long shot [going to Red Bull].
“Plus, Audi know that this is the case and so will be saying, ‘Right, well if you don’t sign this now it’ll be off the table’.
“Because it seems like they’re going to have [Nico] Hulkenberg and they’ve got someone like [Esteban] Ocon on the list as an alternative, so they can bring pressure to there.”
After the Japanese Grand Prix, Ralf Schumacher told Hulkenberg he needed to leave Haas next year.
Speaking to Sky Germany, he said: “Haas is certainly a great team and everything will get better there, but the structure isn’t there towards the future and doesn’t look towards the future either.”
If Hulkenberg is set to join Audi, that puts Bottas and Zhou in a difficult position and they may end up having to compete against each other for a drive elsewhere on the grid.
Meanwhile, Hulkenberg’s seat at Haas is likely to be filled by rookie Oliver Bearman as he takes the next step in his career following a successful cameo with Ferrari in Saudi Arabia.
The post ‘Going to have’: Amid Carlos Sainz interest, £30k-a-week driver looks set for Audi seat in 2025 – journalist appeared first on F1 Oversteer.