Audi have made it clear that they would love to make Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz one of their drivers before they enter Formula 1.
The German manufacturer reportedly made an offer to Carlos Sainz that Red Bull chief Helmut Marko suggested that they couldn’t beat.
Speaking on Sky Germany’s Formula 1 coverage at the Miami Grand Prix, pundit and former F1 race winner Ralf Schumacher was having his say on the Audi situation.
Although Audi won’t be on the grid for nearly another two years, they’re already preparing for their introduction to Formula 1.
Sauber – the team Audi are taking over at the end of the 2025 season – announced that Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg will be joining them next year.
The 36-year-old has been in fine form this season, scoring another two points during the Miami Sprint Race before finishing 11 in the Grand Prix.
Schumacher has now said that instead of Audi signing Sainz, he would love to see another German line up alongside Hulkenberg.
That does significantly limit their options but does put one driver Schumacher knows rather well in the discussion.
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Ralf Schumacher says an all-German Audi line-up would be ‘nice’ amid Carlos Sainz interest
It’s been a long time since a team had a policy of trying to sign drivers specifically from one nation.
Despite being synonymous with Italy, no driver has ever reached 100 Grand Prix appearances for the team, with Michele Alboreto coming closest to the figure with 80.
Ligier were well known for always running a French driver, aside from the season when Martin Brundle and Mark Blundell were partnered together in 1993.
Schumacher may want to see a pair of German drivers at Audi instead of Sainz because of his nephew Mick’s attempts to return to Formula 1.
Mick Schumacher is competing in Alpine’s World Endurance Championship team this year and has previously stated this year he’s desperate to be back on the F1 grid.
He’s still testing F1 cars behind the scenes alongside Italian teenager Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
However, at this stage, he seems quite a long way down the team’s shortlist for a seat in 2025.
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Carlos Sainz still the strongest choice available to Audi
Talking about the future of the Audi team, Schumacher said: “It’s a rocky road to rebuild a team like this, but in conjunction with Audi and Andreas Seidl, there are already capable people who know what they have to do.
“Accordingly, I have high hopes for him [Nico Hulkenberg].”
“If it’s up to me, German-German would also be very nice, but we’ll have to wait and see.
“Carlos Sainz is the driver on the market that everyone wants, after that, we’ll see. I think many have underestimated Sainz”
“Now we are really getting to know him, against [Charles] Leclerc, who is being touted as a future world champion.
“But from Audi’s point of view, you can only wish for a driver pairing like that, because it would be one of the best in the field.”
Schumacher is right to suggest that Sainz would be a fantastic option for Audi but the lack of German representation in Formula 1 is a surprise.
Hulkenberg is the only German on the grid, with Mick Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel dropping out of the sport in recent years.
There isn’t a single German ready to make the step up in Formula 2, while a trio of Germans – Red Bull juniors Oliver Goethe and Tim Tramnitz and Alpine junior Sophia Florsch – currently compete in Formula 3.
The post ‘If it’s up to me’: Ralf Schumacher now shares who he would sign for Audi ahead of Carlos Sainz appeared first on F1 Oversteer.