Audi’s sensational bid for Carlos Sainz highlights its market impact, shaking up Formula 1 dynamics and making Sauber a formidable contender with strong financial backing.
Helmut Marko remains talkative: the Red Bull executive admitted that Audi had made a sensational offer to lure Carlos Sainz starting in 2026.
This information, which of course remains to be confirmed, nevertheless suggests one thing: with Audi’s support, the Sauber team is much more attractive, with greater financial firepower.
For Audi will be much more than an engine supplier: but also the owner of the team. With, of course, a strong financial contribution.
Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team representative, the interim if one may say so until Andreas Seidl’s effective takeover, also confirmed in China: Sauber is in a much better position in the transfer market. Which is not very reassuring for Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou…
“It’s good news for our team, finally we are attractive,” Bravi clarifies.
“And we are not spectators. We are a player in the market.”
“There are 14 drivers without a fixed contract for next year and, like all teams, we are discussing with different drivers.”
“Now is not the time for us to make a decision. It’s time to provide our drivers with a high-performance car.”
“But, allow me to say, we are pleased to see that we can play a role, a different role in the driver market in the future, thanks to the Audi announcement and all the investments that will be made to advance our team.”
Can Alunni Bravi confirm the rumors about Carlos Sainz’s arrival? Is it true that a large check was offered to him?
“It is not appropriate to discuss or disclose what might be the ongoing discussion.”
“Nobody really knows what other teams offer to drivers or what they discuss with them. We do not want to be part of a game led by others.”
“Each driver discusses with many teams to understand the situation, to see if there could be a common vision for the project, especially for a team like ours that is in the midst of a transformation process for 2026.”
Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou might be a bit depressed by these recent statements. So Alessandro Alunni Bravi, the team representative, ends up consoling them: Sauber has not forgotten the current season and will respect its drivers.
“But we are focused on our drivers, and we respect our drivers. We know that we need to improve our performance as a team. And that is the first step to start deciding what the driver choices will be for the future.”
“We need to consolidate our performance. So far, we have not scored any points, so I think the main objective and priority for the team is to start scoring points, then we will think about the driver market. We will start by discussing with our drivers, then we will, of course, keep our eyes open on the market.”
Audi’s Bold Move: Sainz Offer Sparks F1 Buzz. Audi’s Bold Move: Sainz Offer Sparks F1 Buzz
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