Audi Formula 1 project chief Mattia Binotto has suggested the team’s driver lineup will stay the same for 2027, despite it being an “obvious” potential destination for Carlos Sainz.
Sainz previously was in serious discussions with Audi after his former team Ferrari signed Lewis Hamilton as his replacement in 2024. He subsequently joined Williams for the 2025 Formula 1 season, and achieved two podiums in his debut with the British outfit.
However, the team’s performance has dipped in 2026, with just 11 points after as many races. Sainz is responsible for six of those points, but rumours have started swirling that the Spanish driver might consider a move to Audi for the 2027 season. He is expected to make a decision on his future during the summer break.
In an interview with RacingNews365, Binotto claimed it was the first he had heard of such rumours, and suggested he was satisfied with Audi’s current driver lineup of Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg.
“First, I’m not reading the newspapers myself, or not reading much, so I’m hearing from you,” he said.
“Carlos is certainly a person whom I know very well, and it’s somehow easy and obvious to link him to Audi, but I can only say that I’m very happy with the lineup we have.
“Often, when discussing Gabriel and Nico, what I hear is that it is a good mix between experience and, on the other side, the young driver.
“Instead, I would judge them differently. They are two very fast drivers, and I am happy because they are fast drivers, both of them, so we’ve got a good line-up.”
Binotto: F1 ‘silly season’ rumours are good for Audi
Binotto went on to argue that the rumours are, if anything, a sign that Audi’s F1 project has made a strong impact on the sport. The team made its debut at the start of the 2026 season, having taken over Sauber.
“The fact that other drivers are linked to our team, I can only be very happy with because it is showing the credibility of our project is improving,” he said.
“It is showing that the perception from the outside that one day we can become competitive is no longer a rumour, but it is a fact.”
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