Audi can put pressure on Sainz: ‘If you don’t sign this now, it’s not on the table’

In 2026, Audi will enter the Formula 1 market as a new player and many names are already floating around line of the new team. On the podcast of Race journalist Edd Straw shares his doubts about who he thinks will fill the seats in Germany’s stadium.

According to Brit, two drivers play an important role in the driver market. The first is Max Verstappen. Although the Dutchman’s future at Red Bull Racing seemed secure for a long time, there have been rumors for weeks that the world champion could be looking to move and could potentially secure a contract with Mercedes. The second most important driver is Carlos Sainz, who had to give up his seat at Ferrari to Lewis Hamilton and is still unemployed in 2025.

One of the options for Sainz would be Audi, a team which, according to Straw, would like to sign the Spaniard as its first driver for 2026. “At the moment he is the best driver on the grid who still has no contract,” the journalist points out. According to Brit, his father’s connections with Audi are not responsible. Instead, it will come down to whether the driver wants to start a long-term project with the team. Hayes does not see a seat at Red Bull happening for the Spaniard and the German team can use this. “I think Audi can tell him: if you don’t sign this now, it’s not on the table,” the journalist says of Sainz’s situation.

The logical choice of Hülkenberg and Sainz as an Audi duo

Brit estimates that Zhou Guanyu’s chances of staying if the current Stock is taken over by Audi are slim and Valtteri Bottas would not have much of a chance of getting a seat. A possible teammate for the Madrilenian could be Nico Hülkenberg. “It looks like they’re going for Hulkenberg,” says Straw. “And they have Esteban Ocon on the list as a substitute, so they can exert pressure,” he believes.

Janani is not the only one who sees the Haas driver leaving his current team. Ralf Schumacher also contributed The sky in Germany showed that it would be a wise choice for his compatriot. “Haas is a good team and things are going well there, but the structure with an eye to the future is not there and there is no real vision of the future,” said the former driver.