Red bull perturbed as audi entrance affects silly season

FORMULA 1

A bemused Helmut Marko has said that it is “strange” to see 2026 newcomer Audi putting pressure on the Formula 1 driver market, but his Red Bull team insists it will not rush its decision on who Max Verstappen’s team-mate will be next year.

The Milton Keynes-based operation has a vacant slot for 2025, with Sergio Perez’s contract running out at the end of this season. Perez has shown improved form this year and lies second in the drivers’ standings after finishing runner-up behind Verstappen in three of the first four races. But Red Bull still wants to see whether Perez can keep up this form long term – he started last season in similarly good shape before a mid-year slump that prompted questions about his future.

The squad has plenty of options available should it decide that it does not want to continue with Perez, with a host of leading drivers who are not yet locked down. Internally, it could promote Yuki Tsunoda from RB; the Japanese youngster has enjoyed a strong start to the season, including scoring a point in his home race at Suzuka added to seventh in Melbourne.

But Autosport understands that Red Bull is also evaluating other more experienced candidates. Alex Albon is on its shortlist, but he is under contract with Williams through 2025, so would need to be bought out. As revealed earlier this year, Red Bull has asked for a first-refusal option on his services for 2026.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz is a more serious candidate, with his race-winning form and impressive technical capabilities. But Red Bull is not the only team that appears to be interested in the Spaniard. Sources have revealed that factions within Aston Martin want him to join the Silverstone squad for 2025 alongside Lance Stroll and lead it into the new F1 rules era from 2026, rather than continue with Fernando Alonso. And then F1’s newest manufacturer Audi, which is taking over Sauber, is also on the hunt for drivers for its entry in 2026, and Sainz has been one of its obvious targets for a while. Audi’s push to get its drivers in place as early as next year means that those who have options there may not be able to wait too long, meaning that they may have to lay down a deadline for a Red Bull decision.

Unmoved by Audi’s influence, Red Bull insists