In addition to the on-track action of the Chinese GP, Formula 1 offers twists and turns even with the engines turned off. In the pilots market 2024-2025, the hottest name is certainly that of Carlos Sainz, dismounted by Ferrari and looking for a seat. There are many candidate teams: Red Bull, Mercedes, Sauber.
The latter (which will become Audi in 2026) it seems the most probable destination for the Madrid driver. There are two main reasons: his father's ties with the German manufacturer (with which he won the last edition of the Dakar) and the excellent relationship with Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl (his former team principal at McLaren).
For Helmut Marko, Audi would have offered Sainz a three year contract. Unlike Mercedes or Red Bull, the German company is in a hurry to define its pair of drivers for the future. This is also demonstrated by the amount of the contract proposed to Sainz, which again according to Marko Red Bull wouldn't be able to match.
In a recent interview with oe24, Marko explained: “Sainz is in excellent form. I think he has a three-year contract offer from Audi and he needs to make a decision quickly. On the contrary, we don't want to rush and be pressured by such issues.".
On the one hand, in Audi Sainz would be the number 1 driver (his probable teammate would be Nico Hulkenberg). On the other hand, the chances of winning, especially in the immediate future, would be decidedly slimmer than those of Red Bull or Mercedes. In any case, only time will tell what the 29-year-old from Ferrari will have chosen.
But Christian Horner denies everything
Christian Horner, Red Bull team principal, also spoke on the issue which would have denied what Helmut Marko said. According to Horner, Marko would have speculated on Audi's offer for Sainz. "I am pure speculation – Horner says at the press conference. We have no idea whether Audi has made an offer to Carlos, nor the extent of this offer. He is certainly a key driver free on the market and it is natural that there is significant interest around him. And I am equally certain that Audi would be foolish not to take into consideration a driver of his quality."
It's no secret that there is friction between the two, but this raises another question: which of the two is lying? The answer will probably come to us when we know Sainz's final destination.
