With so much speculation in the Formula 1 driver’s market right now, there’s one team in the midfield who are drawing an awful lot of attention.
Despite having not scored a single point this season, Sauber are one of the most interesting remaining options on the grid.
That’s because they become Audi in 2026, and a report from Sky Sports suggests they’re casting their net very far when it comes to deciding their driver line-up for next year.
Audi now have full control over the team and while their identity will remain Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber for 2025, they already have a much bigger influence than before on who next year’s driver pairing will be.
That looks set to be bad news for Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu who haven’t set the world alight this season.
Carlos Sainz is at the top of their list of candidates and the German manufacturer will be buoyed by the news that Fernando Alonso has signed a new contract that prevents the Spaniard from joining Aston Martin.
However, in the event that the 29-year-old signs for a different team next year, Audi now consider four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel as a serious option.
Once described as a ‘legend’ by his old rival Alonso, Vettel has been hinting that he would no longer be against a return to Formula 1.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future
Sebastian Vettel could be an option for Audi Formula 1 team
When Sebastian Vettel bid farewell to F1 at the end of the 2022 season, it looked like that was it for his career in the sport.
He had achieved everything possible during his time at Red Bull but might be slightly frustrated he couldn’t deliver a world championship for Ferrari.
However, he’s started to make noises about a potential return while explaining what he would struggle with if he was back on the grid.
The rumours started linking him to the vacant seat at Mercedes after Lewis Hamilton’s departure.
There was a mixed response within the world of Formula 1 to this story.
Eddie Jordan suggested that Vettel going to Mercedes made sense, while Sky Sports analyst Bernie Collins warned Toto Wolff against the move.
It’s looking less likely that Vettel will be driving a Mercedes next year, but Audi might suddenly be an option for the 36-year-old.
They’re trying to be competitive from race one in 2026 and a former world champion could potentially boost their chances.
Who are Audi targeting ahead of 2026 Formula 1 entry?
The report from Sky Sports suggests that Vettel is only an option for Audi should they miss out on Carlos Sainz.
The 29-year-old is their top target and may be running out of opportunities elsewhere on the grid.
Should Red Bull get rid of Sergio Perez – or lose Max Verstappen to Mercedes’s advances – then Sainz would be a shoo-in for that seat.
Nico Hulkenberg is also near the top of Audi’s list as they appear to want a German driver in the car.
He’s the only German on the grid right now and the highest-ranking young German in the junior series is Red Bull teenager Tim Tramnitz in Formula 3.
Both Alpine drivers have reportedly entered into discussions with Audi but they appear to be more of an insurance option in case they can’t secure their main target.
While many people want to see more rookies on the grid, the return of a multiple-world champion would be a fascinating new storyline for 2025.
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