Two drivers have ‘finally cancelled’ talks with Sauber amid 2025 F1 seat negotiations

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The Formula 1 driver’s market was once again brought into sharp focus at the British Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez’s struggles at Red Bull could see him lose his seat sooner rather than later.

Red Bull inserted performance clauses in Perez’s contract that would currently allow them to swap the Mexican out during the summer break.

Carlos Sainz is still yet to decide what he’s going to do in 2025 with Toto Wolff admitting that he’s still interested in Sainz.

Alpine have also made an improved offer for Sainz and unsurprisingly this is creating a conundrum for the Spaniard who doesn’t appear to be in any rush.

A report from the Swiss outlet Blick has shared more details about Sauber’s pursuit of their second driver for next year.

Sauber have already secured the services of Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg for next year who is currently one of the most in-form racers on the grid.

Unfortunately, Sauber are in a torrid position this year, having failed to score a point at the halfway stage of the season.

Blick believes that Sainz and Esteban Ocon have now pulled out of talks with Sauber for next season.

Neither driver has confirmed where they’ll be racing next year, but they both appear to want to avoid joining the worst team on the grid right now despite the promise of becoming a works team in 2026.

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Carlos Sainz and Esteban Ocon have ‘cancelled’ talks with Sauber over 2025 seat

The report from Blick admits they’re very unsure who will be driving alongside Hulkenberg next year.

They say that Ocon and Sainz have ‘finally cancelled’ negotiations with Sauber, ruling out two of the strongest free agents available to the team.

It leaves current team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi and Audi’s head of Formula 1 Andreas Seidl with a conundrum to solve.

READ MORE: Alpine driver Esteban Ocon’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend

The 2025 season is an opportunity to set the team up as best as it can for when Audi are finally on the grid the following year when the regulations are introduced to the sport.

Hulkenberg is a very strong driver to have in that situation, with his experience likely to benefit the team greatly as they prepare for a reset of the pecking order of the grid.

However, without Sainz or Ocon to drive alongside him, Audi are running out of experienced options to hit the ground running in Formula 1.

READ MORE: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz’s life outside F1 from full name, girlfriend and height

Who could Sauber sign alongside Nico Hulkenberg for 2025?

Although Sauber may miss out on Ocon and Sainz, there are still plenty of drivers who would love to drive for the team next year.

Both of their current drivers – Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu – are currently without a seat for 2025.

Bottas admitted his ideal choice was to stay at Sauber earlier in the year although he may be starting to get frustrated with how slow the car is.

Zhou is in danger of dropping off the grid but Sauber might be forced to reconsider his future if other drivers continue to reject joining them next season.

Audi have shown an interest in Liam Lawson although the turbulence within the Red Bull group right now means he might not be an option for much longer.

Reserve driver Theo Pourchaire is also under consideration by Sauber but despite being a Formula 2 champion, he’s some way down the team’s shortlist.