Audi looks to the future: “We would like to have Sainz in the team”
F1 project manager Adam Baker showed the ambitions of the German company, which will enter the Circus in 2026 as an engine supplier
The future is around the corner, and for Audi it is called Formula 1. The Ingolstadt manufacturer will enter the sport as an engine supplier starting from the 2026 Formula 1 season: waiting to know the team for which they will become power unit supplier (their official agreement with Sauber is expected to be announced shortly, after Sauber confirmed the end of its partnership with Alfa Romeo), the brand represented by the four interlocking rings has also given some interesting indications from the drivers’ point of view.
Indeed, Formula 1 project manager Adam Baker has a dream: to include Carlos Sainz in the project. It would be a realistic goal on the one hand (there are not many “affordable”, quality, free and still active drivers in 2026), on the other hand it would be a romantic idea, given that it would replicate the choice made by the Ferrari driver’s father, who accepted the Audi challenge for Dakar 2022.
“The drivers will be there from the start and will work a lot on the simulator. Of course I’d like to have Carlos Sainz, but it’s very, very early to talk about that. In any case, our driver duo will be decided by the market, not by nationality.” – Adam Baker said at an event in Madrid, silencing rumors that Audi is pushing to have Mick Schumacher in the team as well.
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“Formula 1 is constantly changing. We want to be part of this change and use the sport as a communication platform to show our level of technology. There is also a great involvement of the new generations. We have just started with engine development and have no plans to go racing before 2026. We are confident that the power unit rules change in 2026 will allow us to be competitive from the beginning. Finishing on the podium in some races would be nice. We know the challenge we are facing, other engine manufacturers did not want to make it. However, we are starting from a huge change in the rules, which we want to take advantage of” – the CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH and Audi’s Project Leader for Formula 1 concluded.
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