Audi has spoken about the profile of drivers it will target for its F1 entry in 2026, outlining the hope of signing two German drivers to the roster.
Audi and Sauber have announced they will join forces in Formula 1 for the 2026 season – the German brand providing the engines whilst the Swiss-based squad manufactures and designs the car itself.
There is still some time before Audi officially joins the grid as an entry, although their influence in Sauber’s F1 operations can already be seen.
A flurry of market activity – triggered by Fred Vasseur’s exit – resulted in Andreas Seidl taking the role of CEO at Sauber ahead of schedule.
Whilst this move was initially planned for 2026 (when Seidl’s contract with McLaren expired), Audi’s ideal candidate is already at the helm at Sauber.
It is also understood that Audi could buy shares in Sauber F1 as soon as next year, which would further highlight their control over the team’s overall direction.
With this in mind, their preferred driver lineup must be considered, as Volkswagen’s CEO Herbert Diess explained earlier this year:
“Formula 1 hasn’t been successful in the US until now, but obviously, now it’s coming.
“Of course, it’s always the case that a driver from the right country can be very successful in that country, and Formula 1 becomes very popular.
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“I assume that we will try to employ German drivers in our two teams, for sure.”
There is no guarantee, it must be stressed, that Audi will successfully orchestrate this desired outcome, given that several years lie ahead before their full F1 entry.
However, next year will serve as an interesting case study of how significantly they will impact Sauber’s decision-making.
Valtteri Bottas is relatively secure in his position within the team, owing to his performance and multi-year contract, but Zhou Guanyu only has a one-year deal.
Zhou performed reasonably well in his first Formula 1 season, demonstrating solid pace and committing significantly fewer errors than most rookies in recent years.
So in some ways, it seems unfair to suggest that Zhou’s position is threatened.
Nevertheless, with Alfa Romeo’s influence on the team rapidly declining, Zhou must take a step forward next season to ensure the team offers him a new contract.
Mick Schumacher is by no means a shoo-in candidate to join Sauber in 2024, but he will almost certainly be active in the market.
Having signed a contract with Mercedes as a reserve driver, the 23-year-old can investigate any opportunities or openings for a full-time role in the paddock.
As Schumacher proved in 2023, unless you perform at an exceptionally high level, your position in Formula 1 is always at risk – especially in the midfield.
Considering this inevitable interest in a Sauber seat – which Audi engines will eventually power – it will be intriguing to observe which drivers Sauber and Audi negotiate with throughout 2023.
