Audi sends message to 29-year-old driver they reportedly want to hire before joining F1 grid

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Audi will enter Formula 1 in 2026 and have sent a message to Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz who is one of several potential options being considered by the German manufacturer.

Three-quarters of the F1 grid are out of contract in the winter and Carlos Sainz is one of several top options teams will be considering.

However, before any driver even started testing, Sainz was celebrating a victory within the family on Instagram.

The Dakar Rally has been one of the main racing events at the beginning of 2024.

The race started on 5 January with more than 340 entrants across seven different categories.

Al-‘Ula was the location of the beginning of the rally in Saudi Arabia, which then drove nearly 5,000 miles before ending in Yanbu on the Arabian coast.

Despite not winning a single one of the 12 stages, Carlos Sainz Snr came out on top in the Cars category.

Alongside co-driver Lucas Cruz, Sainz won the race ahead of Belgian Guillaume De Mevius and rally legend Sebastien Loeb.

Sainz won the race in an Audi RS Q-tron and his son sent a message of congratulations to his 61-year-old father for his remarkable achievement.

The event is one of the most challenging feats in motorsport and to achieve it more than 30 years after his last World Rally Championship title is phenomenal.

That connection between the Sainz family and Audi might be about to grow in the future.

Audi sends Sainz Jnr message after Dakar Rally win

Posting on social media after the race, Sainz Jnr said: “We’ll never forget this @dakarrally.”

Audi’s social media account was spotted in the replies and said: “What a time!”

While Sainz Snr has previous connections to the team, Audi might be hoping their message plays on the mind of his son.

Sauber – now called Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber – will become Audi in two years.

Formula 1 will finally have another works team on the grid and they’re already assessing their options in the driver’s market.

The 29-year-old Sainz is one driver they’re currently eyeing if Ferrari decide not to retain him.

Esteban Ocon is very high up on their list while they could look to create a strong German connection with Nico Hulkenberg.

It will be fascinating to see who they end up going for before they make their F1 bow.