Audi are working hard behind the scenes in the Formula 1 paddock to get ahead of the curve in the driver’s market.
They won’t officially be on the grid until 2026 but look set to play a key role in deciding who will be racing for Sauber next year.
Swiss publication Blick has provided an update on who team principal Andreas Seidl is lining up to drive for the team.
The main name being with joining Sauber next year is Carlos Sainz.
The 29-year-old Spaniard is going to be a free agent after Ferrari decided to go with Lewis Hamilton as Charles Leclerc’s teammate next season.
However, it doesn’t appear as though either of Sauber’s current drivers are at the top of the shortlist for Audi when they take full control.
Instead, Audi want to sign Nico Hulkenberg and it appears as though there isn’t going to be any issue with the German agreeing a contract with Formula 1’s new team.
The 36-year-old already has 210 Grand Prix to his name but is coming to the end of his deal at Haas.
After missing out on him last year, Sauber and Audi might finally get Nico Hulkenberg.
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Audi contract for Nico Hulkenberg appears to be ‘no problem’
There have been some brilliant performances up and down the Formula 1 grid this season.
Max Verstappen and Sainz appear to be the two strongest drivers at the front of the pack and have unsurprisingly been the only race winners this year.
In the midfield, Yuki Tsunoda is the best of the rest having earned seven points for Visa Cash App RB.
However, Nico Hulkenberg is the next driver from that group in the Drivers’ Championship with three points.
He owes Kevin Magnussen for his role in finishing 10 in Saudi Arabia but drove very well to secure another two points in Australia at the following race.
Hulkenberg nearly made it three top-ten finishes in a row in Japan but was denied by a rapid pit stop from RB to earn Tsunoda his first point at his home race.
All of these performances have contributed to Audi offering Hulkenberg a contract for next year.
Although things are going well at Haas in comparison to Sauber – especially in the pit lane – joining the newest works team on the grid might be too good an opportunity for the 36-year-old to turn down.
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Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz would be a fantastic partnership
Audi might have to be patient as they wait for Sainz to decide on his future, although they want a quick answer from the Spaniard.
That’s because Red Bull could still be an option for Sainz and he’s unlikely to turn down a race seat at the current constructors’ champions for a long-term project elsewhere.
However, while Blick reports that Audi are ‘pushing’ Sainz to sign a long-term contract, they think they’re having much better luck with Hulkenberg.
They believe that Audi will have ‘no problem’ securing the services of the 36-year-old.
Hulkenberg has the record for most Formula 1 Grand Prix entered without securing a podium.
A spell with Formula 1’s newest works team might finally hand him the chance to earn that top-three finish.
The post Report: 210-race driver’s 2025 Audi contract is now ‘no problem’, they want him alongside Carlos Sainz appeared first on F1 Oversteer.