Audi F1 Team Isn’t Hiding Its Ambition: ‘We Want Verstappen’

[Source: GP Blog]

With the reveal of the R26 Concept behind us, Audi F1 team news is really picking up the pace. Now that we have a car we can see, it is starting to feel more real. What is also real is the desire to win. And according to a report by GP Blog, that means trying to land Max Verstappen.

Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto are already signed on to be the Audi F1 drivers in 2026. And Verstappen is under contract with Red Bull until 2028. So, getting him to drive for Audi is not going to happen tomorrow. If ever. But the desire is there.

Jonathan Wheatley Comments

Jonathan Wheatley, the Sauber team principal, who will become the Audi F1 team principal next year was recently asked by the Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf about Audi seeking out Verstappen after 2028.

“Yes, I want Max Verstappen to drive our car,” Wheatley said. “What kind of team principal would I be if I didn’t want that?” Good point. It can be argued that Verstappen is the most talented driver on the F1 grid. At the start of the 2029 F1 season he will still be just 31 years old and have several good years ahead of him.

When Audi revealed the R26 Concept, CEO Gernot Döllner said that he wants the team to be competing for World Championships by 2030. Having Verstappen in the seat would certainly help achieve that goal. And Wheatley has known Max, his father and his manager for a long time. That can certainly come into play, but there is no guarantee.

“And such a friendship develops because you’re always honest and you never betray the trust you’ve built. But I don’t think that’s enough right now to directly link Verstappen to a Formula 1 seat at Audi,” said Wheatley when speaking about his relationship with Verstappen.

An Audi and Verstappen pairing is far from promised. But we can’t count it out either. In the meantime, there is plenty to get excited about for the 2026 season that is just a few months away.