Axed Haas boss Guenther Steiner claims Carlos Sainz is not in a ‘HURRY’ to sign for Audi amidst Mercedes and Red Bull rumors

While Audi has strong links with the Sainz family courtesy of Carlos Sainz Sr.’s relationship with them, former Haas boss, Guenther Steiner feels that the current Ferrari driver is not very interested in leading the German manufacturer’s F1 operation.

Once Red Bull and Mercedes decide what they want to do with their open seats, Carlos could be in the frame. Carlos will know he has an option at Sauber, which will become Audi in 2026. I think they are keen to have him onboard. But I don’t think Carlos is in a hurry to sign anything until he knows the doors to the big teams are closed. Carlos Sainz said in an interview with F1

Looking at the reaction of the Italian-American, he has left no stone unturned in making it known that Audi is most probably, Sainz’s last choice in terms of preference. When Audi officially enters in 2026, there will be a lot of unknowns as to where they will be in the pecking order. This could be one of the reasons why the 29-year-old is taking his time in making a decision.

Ex-F1 driver feels Carlos Sainz is doing the right thing by stalling Audi

This year’s driver market has proved extremely volatile and this was all kicked off by Lewis Hamilton when he announced his 2025 Ferrari deal. Since then, the whole driver market has proved extremely unpredictable.

While Carlos Sainz is doing his best to stall Audi, the former F1 driver, Jenson Button feels the former is doing the right thing.

He doesn’t want to wait for another 3-4 years to be in a seat at Audi that could be competitive, so I think he’s doing the right thing. Jenson Button said in a conversation with Sky F1

Carlos Sainz is in his prime years in F1. He understands that he is driving really well and thus, does not want to go to a team like Audi that will be newcomers in the sport from 2026. The 2024 F1 season still has 18 races remaining on the calendar and considering this, it will be fascinating to see how the whole Sainz – Audi saga will further develop in the upcoming months.