Audi will enter Formula in 2026 after agreeing to purchase 100% of the Sauber team. And they’re already trying to put the pieces in place for their arrival.
The incumbent duo of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are under threat. There’s a strong possibility that neither driver sees their contract renewed.
Former Mercedes driver Bottas has taken 10 victories in his F1 career, alongside 20 pole positions and 67 podiums. But that pedigree may count for little as Audi look towards the future.
As for Zhou, journalist Scott Mitchell-Malm has dubbed him a ‘pay driver’, albeit one with real ‘quality’. With the backing of a brand the size of Audi, that may no longer be important.
Opinions will vary on the allure of the German manufacturer. On the one hand, they enter Formula 1 with the ambition to be competing for the championship within five years.
But on the other, they may start from a very low base. Sauber are currently bottom of the constructors’ championship as one of three teams without a point.
Any drivers who join this year may have to accept a year of pain before Audi’s official arrival. They’ll then be banking on the team to take a marked step forward following the 2026 regulation changes.
Audi issues ultimatum to 2025 driver target
According to Motorsport.com, Carlos Sainz is ‘on the radar’ for Audi, alongside Nico Hulkenberg. Sainz is a free agent for 2025 as it stands after Ferrari decided to replace him with Lewis Hamilton.
Reports elsewhere suggest that Hulkenberg is on the verge of penning a long-term deal that would see him return to Sauber 11 years after leaving. But Sainz, described as ‘masterful’ by Jolyon Palmer, would truly be a statement signing.
The Spaniard has been one of the standout drivers of 2024, winning the Australian Grand Prix and scoring three podiums in four starts. Of the external options who are out of contract, only Sergio Perez (six) has taken more victories than his three.
Audi have put a contract on the table for Sainz, but they’ve yet to receive an answer. Frustrated by the delays, they’ve apparently told him he must make a decision ‘by May’, so six days from now.
Will Carlos Sainz join Mercedes?
Martin Brundle has previously said that Audi are trying to pressure Sainz into signing. It remains to be seen how he responds to their brinkmanship tactics.
The 29-year-old might well try to call their bluff. After all, if they have any chance of signing a driver of his calibre, there’s a strong argument to bide their time.
Sainz, who’s also been linked with Williams, is likely waiting for a better offer. Having had a taste of race-winning machinery with Ferrari in recent years, the thought of dropping into the lower midfield won’t be palatable.
After Fernando Alonso agreed a new contract at Aston Martin, there are only two teams who can prevent that happening. One of those is Red Bull, who have a call to make over Perez, but Verstappen’s salary may be too high for them to afford Sainz.
Mercedes are unlikely to have that issue now that the wages of seven-time world champion Hamilton are off the books. Sainz has held talks with the Silver Arrows, and demanded equal terms to George Russell.
But the real problem seems to be the proposed length of the contract. He wants a multi-year deal, whereas Toto Wolff is only prepared to guarantee 12 months.
The thinking here may be that he wants to keep his options open for 2026, when Verstappen may be available and academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli could be ready to make the step-up. After being axed by Ferrari, Sainz may bristle at that second-class treatment.
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