Carlos Sainz Sr has revealed his son Carlos Sainz Jr has been in contact with Audi regarding a potential Formula 1 switch to the team in the future.
Sainz has won once during his time with Ferrari and could be set to signal the end of his time in Maranello in favour of a switch to the German newcomer.
The driver could be set to reunite with Andreas Seidl, who left McLaren to join Audi at the end of the 2022 F1 season.
“There are contacts with Audi, yes, but nothing concrete for now,” Sainz Sr told PlanetF1 “As far as we are concerned, it is still time to wait and see how the situation evolves.”
“Andreas [Seidl] and Carlos know each other very well. They have worked together with exceptional results and I believe that Seidl is one of Carlos’ greatest admirers for his speed and ability to provide technicians with precise and correct indications on the operation of the car.
“In general, it is excellent news for F1 that Audi has decided to enter the Circus. The drivers who will race for Audi will be able to take advantage of a great opportunity.”
Sainz and Seidl’s successful McLaren partnership
Sainz Jr previously worked with Seidl when he joined McLaren for 2019, as the team debuted an all-new driver line-up along with Lando Norris.
Throughout the season, the Spanish driver impressed with a string of strong results, including three fifth-place finishes and a first-career podium at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.
Following the time penalty awarded to Lewis Hamilton for his collision with Alex Albon, Sainz recorded McLaren‘s first F1 podium since 2014.
McLaren went on to finish “best of the rest”, and Sainz beat Pierre Gasly and Albon in the standings, despite both sharing a stint in a faster Red Bull car.
In the Covid-hit 2020 season, the driver and team principal continued their strong partnership as Sainz added a second podium of his career at the 2020 Italian GP, where he fought for victory against Gasly.
That season saw Sainz finish ahead of a Red Bull once again, beating Albon on count-back by virtue of the second place as the pair had an equal 105 points.
At the end of 2020 Sainz switched to Ferrari, after beating Norris in both seasons as teammates.
