Audi want to place Carlos Sainz at the centre of their Formula 1 project. But it’s proving difficult to convince him to join.
Sainz is currently without a seat for the 2025 season after Ferrari decided not to renew his deal and sign Lewis Hamilton instead. But the 29-year-old has underlined his worth with some sparkling performances this year.
He won the Australian Grand Prix in March, just two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy that forced him to miss the race in Saudi Arabia. And he’s also bagged podiums in Bahrain and Japan.
Audi had been putting pressure on Sainz to join, but with Nico Hulkenberg through the door, they’ve changed tack. They’re now willing to give him space and time to make a decision on his future.
He may well be reluctant to drop to a team that has yet to score a point in 2024, even if Audi will assume control of Sauber in 2026 with lofty ambitions. The problem is that Red Bull and Mercedes have yet to make him a satisfactory offer either.
Sergio Perez looks set to stay put as Max Verstappen’s teammate if he maintains his current form. And it seems as if plan A at Mercedes is to promote academy driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli, should he prove his readiness this year.
In this context, journalist Mark Hughes says Audi appears the most likely destination for Sainz. He may hold out for now, and then ultimately recognise it’s his best realistic bet.
Andreas Seidl challenges Helmut Marko on Carlos Sainz claim
Ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix, Red Bull director Helmut Marko claimed that the world champions couldn’t ‘beat’ the offer Audi had made to Sainz. It was, in his words, a ‘very lucrative’ proposal.
Speaking to Auto Motor und Sport, Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl offered his response. He’s adamant that Audi don’t want drivers to join simply for financial reasons.
While he accepts that they can offer the same kind of money as the F1 elite, he hopes that targets will buy into the project instead. Seidl left McLaren at the end of 2022 to head up the transition to Audi.
In reaction to Marko’s comments, he said: “Our approach is clearly not to motivate drivers or other employees to come to us with huge amounts of money.
“We basically have the financial resources of a top team, but we really think about how we can use every franc or euro sensibly and efficiently. We want to attract people who want to be part of this journey and accompany Audi’s entry into Formula 1.”
Audi also interested in Sergio Perez
If Sainz rejects Audi in the end, then they have drawn up a list of alternatives. Perhaps the biggest name on it is Perez, who will be a candidate if Red Bull decide not to renew his contract.
The Mexican would bring huge experience and pedigree to the German manufacturer. He ranks inside the all-time top 10 for race starts (262), and he’s also won six Grands Prix, with 39 podiums under his belt.
Another contender is Alpine driver Esteban Ocon. Ocon may be looking for a way out of the Enstone outfit after their point-less start to 2024, and might bank on Audi being more upwardly mobile.
We shouldn’t rule out a swoop for RB’s Yuki Tsunoda either. Out of contract at the end of the year, he’s been highly impressive so far this term and could be frustrated that Red Bull aren’t paying attention.
Of course, the most straightforward option would be to retain either Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu. But Audi don’t seem to rate either of their incumbents especially highly.
The post ‘Clearly not’: Andreas Seidl hits back at Helmut Marko over comments on Carlos Sainz’s ‘lucrative’ Audi offer appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
