After confirming Nico Hulkenberg as one of their drivers, Audi are now trying to recruit Carlos Sainz as his teammate. But it’s proving to be a challenge.
Sainz, a three-time Grand Prix winner, is perhaps the best free agent on the market right now. The paddock have known he would be available since the winter when Ferrari confirmed the 2025 arrival of Lewis Hamilton.
Given his credentials, he would very much be a statement signing for the German manufacturer ahead of their 2026 entry. But you can also understand why Sainz might be hesitant.
He’d effectively be writing off next season given that Sauber’s car is currently one of the slowest on the grid. Indeed, they’re bottom of the constructors’ championship after five races.
The 2026 regulation changes may offer Audi a chance to jump up the order, but it will still take time before they can deliver Sainz’s ultimate goal. They don’t expect to be competing for titles before 2031, by which point he’ll be 36.
Audi initially imposed deadlines on the offer they had made, but they’ve now agreed to give him time. Journalist Joe Saward says he’s waiting for better options, but those may not arrive.
If Sergio Perez maintains his current form, then he will continue alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull. And Audi are ready to pay him more anyway.
Then there’s Mercedes, who could perform an inadvertent driver ‘swap’ with Ferrari. However, Sainz doesn’t seem satisfied with the ‘one-plus-one’ deal that’s on the table.
Audi have alternatives in mind if Carlos Sainz says no
According to F1.com journalist Lawrence Barretto, Audi have ‘a flurry of options’ if they can’t land Sainz. Given the difficulty of persuading him, that’s a sensible step.
One name near the top of the list is Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. They are ‘admirers’ of the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix winner, who earns £92k per week under his current contract (via Spotrac).
Aside from that, they could stick with what they know. While at least one of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu will lose their drive, they both ‘remain in the frame’.
The problem for the trio is that they will have to wait on Sainz. And given that they’re all on expiring deals, that’s a risky game.
Esteban Ocon also an option for two other teams in 2025
Audi aren’t the only option for Ocon if he decides to leave Alpine. You can understand why he might be feeling frustrated right now, because his team arguably had the poorest winter of anybody.
After finishing sixth in the standings last year with 120 points and two podiums, they’ve failed to get off the mark so far in 2024. They’re desperately relying on upgrades to enable them to score points.
This is a far cry from what Ocon would have expected when he first committed to the team. It wasn’t long ago that they were talking about competing for regular podiums by 2024.
The 27-year-old may have an eye on the vacancy at Mercedes. Toto Wolff knows him very well given that he’s previously served as a reserve driver for the Silver Arrows.
Given his current predicament at Alpine, Ocon may be more inclined to accept a possible stop-gap role at Brackley than Sainz. He’s unlikely to be quite as picky.
A more realistic target may be a seat at Haas, who have a vacancy after Hulkenberg’s exit. Oliver Bearman looks like the favourite, but he still needs to fully convince the American outfit.
The problem there is that it would appear to be a sideways move. Haas themselves have only scored five points so far this season, and Audi possess greater long-term potential.
The post Report: Audi are admirers of £92k-a-week driver and he could be their Carlos Sainz plan-b appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
