Carlos Sainz put in the drive of his life to win the Australian Grand Prix after missing the race in Jeddah. Returning from an appendectomy, Sainz jumped right back into his car and achieved a result not many expected (because of his operation). Out of a driving seat for 2025, Sainz is now using each race as an ‘audition’ to receive an offer from one of the top teams. According to Last Word on Sports, one of the sides that is interested in signing him is Audi.
Audi will be entering the grid in 2026, completing the full takeover of Sauber. The team is currently ninth in the standings and is still to score their first points. Generally, a team ranked as low as them is unlikely to land a driver like Sainz. However, things are much different in this scenario.
Although Mercedes has also shown an interest in signing Sainz, Audi still remain the favorites. Since a team like the Silverstone-based outfit have several other options to choose from to replace the outgoing Lewis Hamilton, it will not be a surprise for them to sign someone else.
There lies Audi’s best chance of signing someone like Sainz. With his win in Australia, the 29-year-old racked up his third career GP victory. Audi has always been interested in signing Sainz, and his latest win has only increased their interest.
Audi’s Sauber takeover could also see them bring Nico Hulkenberg on board. Hulkenberg and Sainz were teammates at Renault back in 2018. Hence, the move could be a reunion for the two.
With no shortage of resources to work with, the Hinwil-based team would want to send shockwaves throughout the F1 world. Additionally, there is the prospect of Audi building their project around Sainz. Should this be the case, it will further add to the appeal of the move.
Carlos Sainz could cause “sleep” issues for Max Verstappen if he moves to Red Bull
With the future of Carlos Sainz still uncertain, there is no shortage of destinations for him. Standing as the only non-Red Bull driver to win a race in 2023 and 2024 (thus far), Sainz is the hottest property in F1 right now.
Given the same, even Red Bull is a potential destination for the Spaniard. Should the move happen, he will most likely join Max Verstappen and this move will reunite the former Toro Rosso teammates, albeit hopefully under better circumstances.
However, ex-F1 driver Hans-Joachim Stuck believes the move would lead to Verstappen having sleepless nights. Stuck claimed he would be in favor of the move as it would increase competition, which stimulates business. Stemming from the same, Verstappen will need to accelerate more than he currently does.
Additionally, Stuck claims he is sure Verstappen “would sleep worse” if he knew Sainz was his teammate. The move could also add a new layer of competition within the Red Bull camp, which is something that has been missing in the team since 2022.
However, for now, it’s a shame that Sainz is without a team in 2025. The Spaniard himself joked in front of the media that he is unemployed for the next year.
But winning the Australian GP might have made things promising for him. Until Sainz receives an official offer and puts pen to paper, the best he can do is continue to perform at the top of his ability and hope to compel a top team to sign him.
