Audi considering two rookies for 2025 seat if they can’t sign Carlos Sainz

Follow us on Google Discover

Sauber are currently bottom of the Constructors’ Championship and it’s hard to see when they’re going to score their first point this season.

Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu simply haven’t been given a car capable of competing with the other teams in the midfield, let alone the top four manufacturers.

Zhou’s 11^th-place finish at the opening round in Bahrain is the closest Sauber have come to scoring a point and ever since then the rest of the grid have made progress that Alessandro Alunni Bravi’s outfit haven’t been able to keep up with.

This leaves Sauber in a precarious position in the F1 driver’s market as they look to fill their second seat.

They convinced Nico Hulkenberg early on in the campaign to leave Haas for 2025 and he’s signed up to race for the team when they become Audi during the first season of the new regulations in 2026.

However, despite the prospect of becoming Formula 1’s newest factory team, they’ve struggled to attract their preferred drivers in the market.

Carlos Sainz has been their number-one target for months but Audi appear to be quite far down his list of options at this stage.

They also have an interest in Esteban Ocon but he’s more likely to join Oliver Bearman at Haas.

Speaking on The Race’s YouTube channel, journalist Glenn Freeman believes Audi are now beginning to consider two potential rookies for next year.

While neither appear to be Audi’s first choice, Red Bull junior Liam Lawson and Sauber’s own F2 champion Theo Pourchaire might now be in the conversation.

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber from team principal to Audi future

Audi considering Liam Lawson and Theo Pourchaire for 2025 F1 seat

Speaking about the potential drivers Audi will be looking after if the likes of Carlos Sainz and Valtteri Bottas accept offers elsewhere for next season, Freeman said: “Beyond that, Audi will need to turn to a rookie.

“One option is current Red Bull youngster Liam Lawson if he’s not given an RB seat and becomes contractually available.

“The other is Sauber’s own protégé Theo Pourchaire, the 2023 Formula 2 champion who was recently axed by McLaren’s IndyCar team after just three races but could have been recalled anyway if Sauber had wanted to give him an F1 seat in 2025.

“That might still happen, but he’s relying on a lot of circumstances falling his way.

“Nothing can be ruled out given Audi is seriously at risk of missing out on number one target Sainz with Williams potentially in the same boat now as well.”

READ MORE: Who is Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson? Everything you need to know

Liam Lawson and Theo Pourchaire in very different positions for F1 call-up

Much has been made of Liam Lawson and his absence from the grid this season.

He drove beautifully for AlphaTauri last year in the absence of Daniel Ricciardo but it wasn’t enough to earn him a full-time race seat.

It was, however, enough to earn him a clause in his current deal that either guarantees him a seat within the Red Bull family for 2025 or allow him to leave for nothing if another offer comes in.

At this stage, Daniel Ricciardo’s future appears to be hanging in the balance and while a mid-season switch may not be on the cards, 2025 is a very different prospect.

Theo Pourchaire is the latest Formula 2 champion who left the series knowing he didn’t have an F1 seat lined up for the following year.

Oscar Piastri had to be patient – and switch teams – to end up on the grid while Felipe Drugovich is still waiting.

Pourchaire has had an interesting few months since winning the F2 title, briefly racing for McLaren in IndyCar before being dropped after just five races.

He took part in a single Super Formula race but was then replaced by Ben Barnicoat, leaving him in an awkward position at this stage.

A return to racing in Formula 1 now seems extremely unlikely, but Audi may end up running out of options, gifting Pourchaire an unlikely call-up.