Sauber already made one of many first strikes of the 2025 driver market by signing Nico Hulkenberg from Haas on a multi-year deal, which takes the German into its first 12 months because the Audi manufacturing facility workforce in 2026.
With Lewis Hamilton transferring from Mercedes to take his Ferrari seat subsequent 12 months, Sainz is the most popular property who’s presently not underneath contract for 2025. The 29-year-old already has hyperlinks to Audi by way of his father’s Dakar Rally outings, which embrace victory within the 2024 occasion.
When requested by Motorsport.com about his shortlist for the remaining seat in 2025, Alunni Bravi – who can be the managing director of the Sauber Group – quipped that “all of the groups have a brief listing!”
“All people is aware of that there’s a high driver that’s accessible available in the market, it is Carlos Sainz,” he mentioned. “I believe that everyone, , wish to have Carlos on board.
“He is among the greatest drivers. He reveals [himself] to be extraordinarily mature, a superb driver to develop the automobile, to drive the workforce for the event, however on the similar time very constant, very sturdy each in qualifying and race. And I believe that Ferrari has top-of-the-line pair of drivers.
“However we all know additionally that the drivers market will not be relying simply by ourself. It’s relying on various factors. And there are a lot of groups which are discussing with drivers. And I believe that there are a number of choices for our workforce.
Valtteri Bottas, Stake F1 Workforce Kick Sauber, Alessandro Alunni Bravi, Workforce Consultant, Stake F1 Workforce Kick Sauber
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Images
“And we’ll consider, however now that we introduced Nico there isn’t a rush to make this alternative. We’re nonetheless on the very starting.”
When pushed on what stage talks have reached, and whether or not his present drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are nonetheless choices, Alunni Bravi mentioned no selections had been taken.
“We’re talking with [Sainz] and different drivers,” he mentioned. “Additionally with our present drivers.
“However that is why we’ve no rush, as a result of now we secured one of many two seats. Now we will have extra time. The choice will not be a straightforward one. As a result of, in fact, we’ve two good drivers which have been with us for 3 years, which are performing properly.
“There may be Carlos, there are different drivers, and we have to perceive – as a result of right here we’re taking a choice that isn’t simply impacting 2025 but additionally the way forward for the Audi works workforce.
“So, I might say the length of the contract, what may very well be the mix… the motive force line-up is necessary. It isn’t simply the choice of a single driver. And all of the choices are on the desk, ranging from our present two drivers and discover [the one] that might match into the general undertaking.”
Another choice which stays accessible to Sainz is rejoining the Pink Bull secure, which he left after it missed him in favour of Max Verstappen in 2016.
However final month Pink Bull’s Helmut Marko revealed that Sainz “has a really profitable provide from Audi that we will not match or beat”.
Extra reporting by Mandy Curi