Hulkenberg offers Sainz Audi drive amid Williams speculation

Nico Hulkenberg says Carlos Sainz is welcome to join Audi next season, but joked the Spaniard will have to do so as the team’s reserve driver as neither race seat is available.

Formula 1’s silly season is reaching its peak as the campaign heads into its summer break, with several drivers linked to rival teams.

Nico Hulkenberg says Carlos Sainz would only have an Audi reserve role

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Max Verstappen could yet be the catalyst for changes to the driver line-ups at all three of Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren.

Further back, though, Sainz has his own cards to play.

The Spaniard joined Williams last year and helped the team achieve fifth place in the constructors’ championship, bringing in 30 of his 64 points with podium finishes in Azerbaijan and Qatar.

Williams had been expected to make a significant step forward under the new rules for F1 2026, but fell behind with an overweight FW48 hampering Sainz and Alex Albon, who have scored a total of 11 points.

PlanetF1.com revealed ahead of Sainz’s home race in Spain that the 31-year-old was questioning his future at Williams, while considering Audi as an option.

But while he insisted he was “not” eyeballing other opportunities, he told PlanetF1.com and other accredited media: “I’ve also told my team to leave me a bit on my own until the summer break, just to try and help Williams and improve the situation as much as possible.

“And then in the summer break, it will obviously be the time to think about it, look at the options.”

The summer break is now on the horizon.

Hulkenberg, though, has cautioned Sainz against focusing on an Audi race seat, a seat he was reportedly in line for before opting to join Williams.

Now if he wants to join Audi, Hulkenberg says the four-time Grand Prix winner will have to accept the reserve driver role as neither he nor Gabriel Bortoleto are going anywhere.

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“It’s just you know typical summer F1 noise,” the German insisted to PlanetF1.com and other media at Spa.

“I think, or I know in fact, the team is very happy with Gaby and myself.

“We are only getting started. This is year one for us as a team. On top of that, you know, contracts are very clear.

“Yeah, I read some rumour stuff that related to Carlos…

“The reserve driver’s seat is available, but I doubt that he would be interested in that.

“So, yeah, no question marks about that from my side.”

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

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