F1 News: Carlos Sainz Likely To Join Audi Project From Next Year According To Sky Pundit

Carlos Sainz's chances of leading the Audi project are high considering the influence he comes with and the kind of performance displayed over the last few years.

Former F1 driver Anthony Davidson suggests that Carlos Sainz, currently with Ferrari, is expected to join the Audi project in the upcoming year once his contract concludes at the end of 2024. This potential move follows Lewis Hamilton's recent announcement of joining Ferrari in 2025.

Key Takeaways:

• Ex-F1 driver Anthony Davidson suggests Carlos Sainz is expected to join Audi in 2025 after his Ferrari contract ends, following Lewis Hamilton's move to Ferrari in the same year.
• Left without an F1 seat for 2025, Sainz has been linked to Audi, Mercedes, and Red Bull. His father's ties with Audi from winning the Dakar Rally could influence the potential move.
• Davidson sees Sainz as a valuable addition to Audi, bringing experience and wisdom to guide the team, especially reuniting with his former team principal, Andreas Seidl.

Hamilton replaces Sainz next year and thus, the Spaniard has been left without a racing seat in Formula 1. Consequently, he has been linked with several teams as the 29-year-old driver actively looks for suitable options. 

The first team he was linked with was Audi, which is set to enter the F1 grid through the takeover of the Sauber F1 team in 2026. Sainz's father, Carlos Sainz Sr, recently won the Dakar Rally, racing for Audi. It is believed that he has been playing a major role in forming a bridge between the German manufacturer and his son. 

Sainz was also linked to Mercedes since Hamilton's seat remains open to be occupied next year. In addition, Red Bull was another name that came up, given the high chances of Sergio Perez's exit from the team after the 2024 F1 season. 

The Spaniard has displayed exemplary performance since his F1 journey began in 2021 when he entered Ferrari as Sebastian Vettel's replacement. Last year, he was the only non-Red Bull driver to have won a Grand Prix in the entire season.

When Davidson was asked during pre-season testing about Audi rumors linking Sainz, he answered: 

 “I assume that’s going to happen.

“I just think that’s a very good place for an experienced, professional racer like he is to end up, to help nurture a new team.

“It’s still Sauber, of course, but there’ll be new people within that team that want to make their own mark and moment in time in Formula 1 and I think he will be a brilliant driver to help guide and measure the aspirations – perhaps slight overoptimism as well – in some moments.

“I think he’s an excellent driver. And we see it at Ferrari as well, when sometimes the strategy is wavering a little bit, going off-piste slightly, he’s always there to rein it back in and keep people’s feet on the ground.

“I see him as that kind of stalwart, a driver that speaks with authority. I think that will go a long way if he turns up at Audi and I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.”

A move to Audi in the future would reunite him with his former team principal, Andreas Seidl, whom Sainz worked with for two seasons before joining Ferrari. Davidson added:

"Exactly that. There’s that working relationship right there.”

Explaining Sainz's expertise as a "wise" driver, he added:

“Ferrari were the [only] other team than Red Bull to win a race last year and Carlos was that driver to make it happen.

“Carlos is such a professional. That’s how I see him. He’s always there, a solid driver. I think, in mixed conditions, he’s very, very good.

“Such a wise head that he has and he showcased that brilliantly in Singapore last year, playing the old DRS game with his good old buddy Lando Norris behind them, using him basically to protect himself with the DRS.

“How clever is that? So he’s a very wise driver.

“I’m sure he’s got a lot of fans out there that are gutted to see him going, but when Lewis Hamilton comes knocking at the door it’s hard not to open it.”

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