Former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, Mick Schumacher’s uncle, threw cold water on the possibility of his nephew joining the future Audi team in the category. The German automaker debuts in the category in 2026, when it fully takes over Sauber.
With the confirmation of Nico Hulkenberg in one of the Sauber cockpits as early as 2025, the search for the German’s teammate continues.
The favorite seems to be Carlos Sainz, a current Ferrari driver who would be attracted by an advantageous financial proposal from Audi. Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber, denied rumors of astronomical figures to attract drivers.
“Our approach is not to motivate drivers or employees with a lot of money,” Seidl told Auto Motor und Sport. “We have the financial resources of a top team, but we think about how to use every penny sensibly and efficiently. We want to attract people who want to be part of this journey and follow Audi’s entry into Formula 1.”
Mick Schumacher, 25, currently a reserve driver at Mercedes and also racing with Alpine at Le Mans, could be an interesting option for Audi. In addition to being part of a 100% German duo, the young driver would not represent a high cost for the team.
“It makes sense to have at least one experienced driver, as we will face many challenges at once,” said Seidl. “So it could be an experienced duo or an experienced driver with a promising newcomer. We continue talking, monitoring the market and the performance of Zhou (Guanyu) and Valtteri (Bottas), current Sauber drivers,” he added.
However, not even Ralf Schumacher believes that his nephew is on Audi-Sauber’s priority list.
“Any opportunity in Formula 1 that arises for Mick would obviously be important and good,” he told German Sky. “Undoubtedly. But that’s still a long way off. At the moment, he is doing very well at Alpine in the endurance world championship, he is doing a great job there, so let’s wait and see”, concluded the former driver.
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