Audi won’t officially enter Formula 1 until the 2026 season as they assume control of the Sauber team. But they already seem to be exerting control over their driver line-up.
About a month ago, they confirmed the signing of veteran driver Nico Hulkenberg. The German joins from Haas on a multi-year deal.
They’ve apparently told both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu that they’ll need to find a new team for 2025. The incumbent duo are both out of contract at the end of the year.
It’s abundantly clear that their top target for the other seat is Carlos Sainz. Sainz is perhaps the top free agent on the market after Ferrari released him to sign Lewis Hamilton.
However, the Spaniard doesn’t seem overly enthused by the prospect of joining a team who, in their current guise, sit bottom of the constructors’ championship. He’s left their offer on the table for now in the hope of a call from Red Bull.
And failing that, Sainz may prefer to join Williams if he’s to drop into F1’s midfield. That would allow him to race with a Mercedes power unit, which may be the strongest out there come 2026.
Yuki Tsunoda now a top target for Audi
According to formula1.com journalist Lawrence Barretto, Audi have ‘no shortage of options’ if Sainz ultimately rejects them. A u-turn on either Bottas or Zhou remains unlikely at this stage.
Instead, they could look to RB driver Yuki Tsunoda, who’s emerging as a ‘major contender’ for the seat. Tsunoda has been one of the standout drivers in F1 this season.
The 24-year-old has scored 15 of RB’s 21 points to take his career tally to 76. Even though he’s only driving F1’s sixth-fastest car, he sits inside the top 10 in the championship.
Elsewhere, Alpine duo Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon are both in contention. They’re clearly considering possible exit routes after scoring just one point between them across the first seven races.
Yuki Tsunoda update on Red Bull prospects didn’t sound promising
On paper, Tsunoda should be a contender for a seat at Red Bull. He’s out-performing eight-time race-winner Daniel Ricciardo pretty emphatically for the junior team, and Sergio Perez’s displays alongside Max Verstappen are ‘too ridiculous’ for words.
What’s more, Red Bull have been pleased by an apparent change in his temperament this season. Helmut Marko recently praised the ‘excellent’ talent for his calmer demeanour over the team radio, citing it as key in his improvement.
But despite that, Tsunoda recently admitted that he’s not engaged in active talks with the world champions for 2025. If they are to replace Perez, Sainz looks like a stronger contender.
Barretto previously claimed that bosses at Milton Keynes didn’t seem particularly ‘bothered’ by Tsunoda’s strong form. If he’s to realise his ambitions of getting to the top of Formula 1, he may have to do it with a different team.
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