The decision on the second driver for the designated Audi team should be made “as soon as possible”. However, before that, they must first decide whether they want to hire a young driver or a pilot with more experience, said Audi’s new Formula 1 project manager Mattia Binotto on Sunday on the sidelines of the Italian Grand Prix.
After taking over the Swiss Sauber racing team, Audi will compete in the premier class of motorsport with its own works team from 2026. What is certain is that from next year, 37-year-old Nico Hülkenberg will drive one of the two Sauber racing cars and then the Audi.
“There is a lot to do”
It is not yet clear who will take second place. There is speculation about many names. Among them are the two current drivers, Valtteri Bottas (35) from Finland and Guanyu Zhou (25) from China, but also young drivers from Sauber and Mick Schumacher (25). He has again come away empty-handed in the previous cockpit allocations and has been waiting to return to Formula 1 since leaving Haas after the two years 2021 and 2022.
Binotto stressed that they would speak to potential candidates, but that there were no decisions at the moment. “But hopefully soon.” The list, according to the Italian, was long.
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The former Ferrari team boss stressed at the media round together with Audi CEO Gernot Döllner that the goal is to become a winning team, “but there is a lot to do.” He and Döllner stressed several times that this is a long-term project.
After personnel changes had recently been made in key positions, including Binotto taking over and Jonathan Wheatley from Red Bull being announced as team boss from 2026, Döllner stressed that Audi’s involvement in Formula 1 had “never been in question”. A reassessment last year was more about how it would be organized and how it would be continued.
Sauber currently occupies tenth and last place in the constructors’ championship. The two drivers had not even scored a single point until the Italian race.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240901-930-219553/1
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