The Audi Formula 1 team appears open to fielding a rookie driver in 2025 before its full entry in 2026, should it fail to meet its main targets.
Many teams are still looking for a new driver for 2025 and need backup options for their reserve options, so the end of this ridiculous season is up in the air, meaning at least two rookies are competing at Audi.
Theo Bourchier, the 2023 Formula 2 champion and long-time trainee for Audi-run Sauber, is one option while another is Red Bull junior driver Liam Lawson if he is not given a seat at RB.
While both have proven themselves worthy of a Formula 1 opportunity, a new team at one of the world's biggest car manufacturers is hoping to attract higher-level drivers with more Formula 1 experience.
That's why Audi is targeting race winners Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon, and treating current Sauber driver Valtteri Bottas as a luxury back-up option.
However, Sauber's poor on-track performances – it is the only team yet to score a point in 2024 and has the slowest car on average – severely undermines the appeal of joining Audi's project, at least in the short term.
There is a non-ridiculous scenario where Audi has to make a real choice. That involves Sainz joining Alpine, Bottas joining Williams (or vice versa), and Ocon signing with Haas.
Audi does not appear to be as concerned as Williams about being able to secure their 'next favourite' option instead of Sainz.
The team seems content to wait – they’ve been chasing Sainz for a long time and were so confident he would join. Either that confidence remains or the alternatives (going to Ocon or keeping Bottas) are so unattractive that the wild card is worth the risk if it means staying in the race for Sainz as long as possible.
The fact that Bottas' contract has not yet been renewed shows concerns about his level of performance and value, while many teams view Ocon as a very good driver but a risk given his history of clashing with team-mates.
That leaves the team's top figures open to Bourchier, who Sauber made sure had the option of recalling from McLaren's IndyCar team even before he was controversially dropped after just three races.
Team representative Alessandro Aloni Bravi said that in “this situation” – the volatile driver market – “it would be smart not to rule him out”.
However, when asked by The Race if there was anything Borschier could do to bolster his case, Bravi admitted: “It depends on the circumstances.”
“We know what he can offer the team, and we know his value to us,” he added.
“It is a question of our medium and long-term strategy as Audi, regarding the driver line-up and whether it fits into that strategy or not.
“It depends on many factors.”
Previously, Bravi indicated that Sauber’s priority was to find a new home for Borscheid in IndyCar in 2025, and the team has not seemed particularly keen on promoting him to Formula 1 in the past. So it could be seen as a last resort.
If so, Lawson would be above him, and it is believed there has been contact with him. This also depends on the lack of better options and Red Bull deciding not to offer him a seat at their second team – but Audi F1 bosses are understood to be taking the idea seriously.
He did it [five F1] “He's in an environment that has proven to be strong for young drivers like Red Bull and RB,” Bravi said when asked for his opinion on Lawson.
“He is a good driver. I can't say more because I don't know him personally.
“I can only judge from the outside, but there are elements there that can show that there is potential for him to be a Formula 1 driver.”
Audi will have to make a move because of two factors: Sainz's decision (both when he makes his decision and which team he chooses), and whether Bottas/Ocon are still available when he makes that decision.
Sainz may decide that the Audi project has the best chance of success anyway, in which case a Sainz-Nico Hulkenberg partnership would be the best Audi could hope for.
If Ocon is signed but Bottas is still available, Audi will need to decide whether to go all out to retain a driver who appears to be unhappy with his treatment at a team that prioritises other contenders over him. If there are any question marks over Bottas, or if he doesn’t want to stay, then even with him available, Audi could end up following in the footsteps of Bourchier/Lawson.
The uncertainty, as with all the remaining big moves in the 2025 driver market, is Sainz’s. Until he decides what to do, the other drivers have to sit and wait. And that’s making them uncomfortable.
But if Williams is serious about moving forward with or without Sainz, and Ocon's discussions with Haas are as advanced as some in the paddock believe, the ball could finally start rolling for the other drivers stuck in the queue.
This could quickly determine whether Audi will get their first choice or have to look further down the shortlist to find Hulkenberg's teammate.
