2 F1 race winners and 2 young drivers comprise Audi's 'unofficial shortlist' if the team doesn't sign Carlos Sainz for 2025

It is being reported that Audi are targeting Alpine F1 drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon along with young prospects like Yuki Tsunoda and Felipe Drugovich if Carlos Sainz does not sign for them in the 2025 season. The German manufacturer will enter the F1 grid in the 2026 season but will completely takeover the Kick Sauber team next year.

Audi have already signed Nico Hulkenberg from Haas F1 on a long-term deal to race for them in the 2025 season and have been after Carlos Sainz's signature.

However, as Sainz has been non-commital about joining them as he departs from Ferrari at the end of the 2024 season, PlanetF1 reported that they have started looking at Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon to race alongside Nico Hulkenberg. Both French drivers are out of contract and have been assessing their options throughout the grid for next year.

It is also rumoured that Audi have also been looking at two young drivers - Yuki Tsunoda and the former F2 champion, Felipe Drugovich.

The Japanese driver has had a stellar start to the 2024 season and has impressed everyone in the sport with his performances with the VCARB F1 team. Drugovich is yet to race in the sport and is currently the Aston Martin F1 reserve driver since 2023.

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Audi CEO Andreas Seidl shares their driver options for 2025

Audi CEO and former McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl stated that they were 'monitoring' the performances of current Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu while also assessing other options.

In an exclusive interview with F1.com, Seidl said that they would make the decision 'later in the year':

“We are talking with Valtteri [Bottas] and Zhou [Guanyu] and keep monitoring their performance. We are grateful for what they have done and are still doing for Kick Sauber. At the same time, we are out in the market to have all options ready once we want to make a decision later in the year.”

“The driver market is difficult to predict at the moment. Having Nico nailed down, there is no specific rush to fix the second seat. We prefer to monitor the performance of our drivers and the others we are looking (at) – and then make the best decision.”

Given Audi's caliber in other motorsport categories and being a manufacturer, it has been able to attract the attention of many F1 drivers who will be out of contract at the end of the 2024 season.

It's just a matter of time before it becomes clear which driver they will choose to pair Nico Hulkenberg with for the 2025 season, as they push hard for Sainz's signature.