15 January 2024 , 11:01
1111
0
Audi have targeted Esteban Ocon as a potential driver when their fledgling Formula 1 operation finally gets up and running.
The German carmaker is set to join the grid in 2026, marking its entry into F1 for the first time. Instead of forming a new team to race alongside the 10 existing outfits, it will take over one of the existing entries.
The Sauber team most recently branded as Alfa Romeo is in the process of converting into the Audi works team and will assume that identity from 2026. With preparations for that in full swing, the team is beginning to think about who its drivers might be.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu currently drive for the Sauber team. But the former is already looking at life after F1 with business deals and a plan to compete in cycling championships, while the latter has yet to establish himself on the grid.
Audi are considering other options and, according to F1.com, like the look of Ocon. The report cites sources which claim: "Sauber-run Stake have the Frenchman very high up on their list as they prepare the operation to become Audi in 2026."
Sebastian Vettel warns of looming F1 ban and is "very worried about the future"
The Frenchman is settled at Alpine having raced with the Enstone outfit since 2020. But he may decide to pursue other options for 2026 if the team continue to stagnate in the midfield while rivals like McLaren and Aston Martin continue to push forward and challenge at the front of the grid.
Things have also not been rosy behind the scenes at Alpine in recent times. Arguments with the Renault board which oversees the operation led to team principal Otmar Szafnauer being axed mid-way through last season, while Bruno Famin remains in temporary charge with a permanent successor still not appointed.
As a new and exciting project, Audi may be an appealing prospect for Ocon if he decides to start afresh elsewhere. He is not the only one in the frame for a seat, though, with Carlos Sainz having already held talks with the carmaker.
The Spaniard is happy at Ferrari and would like to sign a new deal with the Scuderia. However, he is after a longer contract than has been offered which has led to a delay in negotiations and suggestions that Sainz may consider his alternative options in the long-term if he does pen a shorter extension than he would have liked.
Sainz is one of several drivers up and down the grid who have spoken to team chief executive Andreas Seidl about the seats on offer. But there are two more seasons between now and Audi's entry, meaning firm commitments remain some time away.