The speculation surrounding Carlos Sainz and his potential move to Audi’s F1 project continues to gather momentum. During the Monaco Grand Prix, Sauber’s team representative, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, confirmed their ambitious goal of securing the ‘best available’ drivers for Audi’s 2026 debut. With Nico Hulkenberg already onboard for 2025, the focus shifts to finding his ideal teammate.
Alunni Bravi elaborated on their strategy, emphasizing that the market’s fluid nature makes it challenging to secure the right drivers. “We say that we want to try to have the best pair of drivers available in the market,” he mentioned. “It’s not just depending on our team. It’s depending, of course, on the availabilities, depending on many factors. We have seen that the market is quite fluid and each day we see in the press, you know, new names and new combinations.”
As it stands, Sauber has yet to set a deadline for finalizing their line-up. Instead, they are focused on making the best possible choice for their long-term project with Audi. Alunni Bravi explained, “We have a target that I think we need to try to find the very best option.”
Meanwhile, the driver market continues to buzz with rumors. Both Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are vying to stay with the team, while Esteban Ocon’s upcoming departure from Alpine adds another layer of complexity. However, it’s the speculation around Carlos Sainz that draws the most attention. With his imminent exit from Ferrari, where Lewis Hamilton is set to take his place, Sainz finds himself a hot commodity.
Speaking to the media, Sainz admitted he hasn’t made up his mind yet and is in no rush to do so. “I think everyone depends on everyone [in the driver market]. Formula 1 is a circle,” he said. “I haven’t made my mind up yet and I don’t know where I’m going to be racing next year. I also haven’t set any deadlines. It’s an important decision at this stage of my career. When I have options on the table, I want to take the right one and think about it carefully because I’m about to turn 30 this year and I want to make the next project work and see how it goes. I’m going to give myself as much time as I need.”
For now, Sauber remains the only team yet to score a point in the 2024 season. As they look to the future and their partnership with Audi, the stakes have never been higher in choosing their driver lineup.
The ongoing speculation about Carlos Sainz’s next move keeps the F1 community on edge. As Sauber and Audi aim to build a formidable team for 2026, the decision on who will join Nico Hulkenberg is crucial. While timelines remain flexible, the goal is clear: secure the best talent available.
Source: Planetf1
