Audi and Verstappen complicate the F1 driver market

Since last year, there was already an expectation that the pilot market for Formula 1 to 2025 would be explosive, with most of the grid’s contracts ending in 2024. And while some important announcements have already been made, such as the shock departure of Lewis Hamilton to the Ferrarior the fact that Fernando Alonso with the Aston Martin – there is still a lot to come.

What is perhaps most fascinating, however, is that not everyone is following the same timing schedule, and this has made things extremely complicated for drivers and teams as they try to chart the best path forward.

On the one hand, teams like Mercedes and the Red Bull are quite relaxed about how things are unfolding, as they seem ready to wait and wait to see what their best options are for 2025.

At Red Bull, Sergio Perez is doing enough to justify staying once again, but we’ve already seen strong starts to the campaign not last until the end of the year. That’s why the team has repeatedly said it wants to wait a while – potentially until the summer – to choose what to do with who will line up alongside Max Verstappen.

Mercedes is also keeping a close eye on things as it considers who will be George Russell’s best teammate in 2025 as Hamilton’s replacement. The initial favorite is Andrea Kimi Antonelliwhose F1 testing program has been expanded, as the German manufacturer intends to do everything it can to bring it up to date with the machines in the category.

But there is also the possibility that Verstappen could be available if the Dutchman and his entourage decide that things are not going as well at Red Bull as they would like.

Insiders suggest that Verstappen is fully committed to staying at Red Bull for now, but if there was even a 0.01% chance of him being free, Mercedes would be foolish to let that slip at the very moment they had a seat available.

That’s why she doesn’t want to commit to anyone else right now, even though others are pressuring her to make quick decisions.

But Mercedes also knows that if Verstappen decides to stay at Red Bull and if, at the end of this year, they come to the conclusion that Antonelli should spend another year in F2 or be placed at another F1 team, it will need a Plan B .

That’s why the German team is researching and seeing who is available, to get a clear idea of how things stand, although they don’t feel in a rush to do anything.

However, the attraction for the drivers, the vacancies at Red Bull or Mercedes, ends up mitigating the expectation of waiting, but not all other teams are willing to wait that long.

And at the center of this conflict over what the domino effect of the pilot market will be is the fact that Audi (Sauber) You want decisions very soon on the offers you have already made. Carlos Sainz It is Nico Hulkenberg are on the German manufacturer’s radar, but sources suggest that Audi has made it clear that if decisions are not made by May, it will not rule out the possibility of looking for another driver.

The Sauber boss, Alessandro Alunni Bravihinted in China last weekend that Audi does not want to be second or third options.

“We are happy because it looks like we can play a role, a different role in the driver market in the future, thanks to Audi’s announcement and all the investments that will be made to improve our team,” he said.

“I think if there’s any good news for our team, it’s that we finally have some traction. And we don’t want to be bystanders. We’re important in the market.”

It is unclear why Audi wants to be aggressive with its schedule, although this could be related to the proposed transfer of shares in Sauber, which Audi has purchased at a rate of 25% per year until 2026. However, this leaves a driver like Sainz in a particularly difficult situation.

Does he commit to an attractive offer at Audi right now, or does he wait for a seat at Red Bull or Mercedes, which may or may not be available, and risk losing everything?

There are some high-stakes decisions to be made in the coming weeks and the drivers know full well that as F1 moves closer to resetting the rules for 2026, what they do now could decide whether they are fighting for victories.