F1 Rumor: Carlos Sainz Jr. Considering Move to Audi Sport / Sauber

News broke this morning from the racing world that Carlos Sainz Jr. is considering a move from Ferrari to Audi Sport’s new F1 team beginning when the brand makes the switch to the four rings in 2026. Though not confirmed with Sainz Jr., Audi or Ferrari, the rumor has spread like wildfire across outlets including our link here from Sports Illustrated’s FanNation F1 Briefings website.

At Ferrari, Sainz Jr. continues to both drive alongside teammate Charlie Leclerc, though has struggled to match Leclerc’s pace despite Ferrari’s contention that there is no preferential prioritization between the drivers. According to the rumors, Sauber CEO Andreas Seidl has placed Sainz Jr. at the top of his potential drivers’ list. That Audi has the financial backing to be a serious contender in the space may also make it an interesting pivot to the Spanish driver even though his seat at Ferrari is highly coveted.

As of right now, this is total rumor territory. Whether that’s fueled or substantiated by the relationship between the Sainz family and Audi remains to be seen. The F1 driver’s father Carlos Sainz already maintains a key seat on Audi Sport’s RS Q e-tron Dakar program, where Carlos Jr. publicly visited during the 2023 running of the Dakar Rally. The relationship between Sainz Jr. and Audi is there, though whether the impetus to make the move to a storied brand but one new to Formula 1 remains to be seen.

Read more on this over at SI.com HERE.