22 January 2024 , 20:04
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Carlos Sainz Sr has admitted to discussing a potential future switch to Audi with his Ferrari star son.
Audi have never raced in Formula 1 before. But that will change in 2026 when the existing Sauber team, branded up until the end of last season as Alfa Romeo, becomes the official works team of the German carmaker in two years' time.
Work on their engines has been well under way for some time in Germany while the chassis will be built at Sauber's current base in Hinwil, Switzerland. But it remains too early to make any concrete suggestions about who will drive for Audi in their inaugural season.
One of those most heavily linked, though, has been Sainz. The Spaniard has a contract with Ferrari up to the end of this season and is expected to sign an extension, though there have been conflicting suggestions over the length of that new deal.
Sources suggest Ferrari do not want both Sainz and Charles Leclerc to be tied down for many years to give them flexibility in the driver market. In such a scenario, it is the 29-year-old from Madrid who will get the short end of the stick with a shorter contract.
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That has only served to fuel talk of a potential future switch to the new Audi team, especially as talks between the two parties have already been held. And Sainz's father, who last week won the Dakar Rally driving for Audi, has admitted to speaking to his son about the project.
"Audi, I think, is a guarantee," the rallying legend, 61, told Motor.es. "I know very well how seriously they take every project and I know very well what the German mentality in the world of motoring entails, with its advantages and certain disadvantages.
"We have to respect [a] Volkswagen Group [brand] like Audi. We all know that F1 is a bit of a special world, but I have a lot of respect for Audi. I think it will only be a matter of time [before they succeed in F1]. I don't have a crystal ball, but if Audi has all my respect and I think they are also putting all the ingredients in place for it to be a good project.
"As you would expect at Carlos' house, with me being part of the Audi family, it's logical that we talk and exchange views on what the Audi team can be in the future."
Sainz is not the only F1 star being linked with Audi, as Esteban Ocon is also said to be a target. "Sauber-run Stake have the Frenchman very high up on their list as they prepare the operation to become Audi in 2026," a report from F1.com claims.