Audi CEO opens up on Carlos Sainz contract negotiations: "We want to attract people who want to be part of this journey"

Audi CEO and Carlos Sainz's former boss at McLaren, Andreas Seidl, has opened up on contract negotiations involving the Spaniard. In what has come as a surprise to many this silly season, the German brand has come across as a very potent player and has been calling the shots.

Red Bull's Helmut Marko was the first to pull back the curtain on contract negotiations when he revealed that Carlos Sainz was given a lucrative multi-year offer. The Austrian had also mentioned how Audi had surprisingly come out as a strong player in the driver market and had given Sainz the ultimatum when it came to signing the contract.

In the latest development, Nico Hulkenberg has already been confirmed by Audi as one of the drivers who will be a part of the team in 2026. This leaves the second slot open for which Carlos Sainz is a frontrunner.

In an exclusive conversation with AMuS, Andreas Seidl addressed the claim that the German brand had offered a lucrative contract to the Spaniard.

Seidl claimed that Audi did not want to bring anyone on board by dangling a wad of cash in front of them. He wanted the concerned party to believe in the journey and, hence, be interested in joining the squad. He said,

"Our approach is clearly not to motivate drivers or other employees to come to us with huge amounts of money. We basically have the financial resources of a top team, but we really think about how we can use every franc or euro sensibly and efficiently. We want to attract people who want to be part of this journey and accompany Audi's entry into Formula 1."

Amidst Carlos Sainz discussions, Audi CEO hints at a possible alternative

Amidst conversations around the path, Audi would take when it comes to hiring drivers. Seidl quite openly talked about the possible directions the brand could take. He talked about how the team could put Carlos Sainz alongside Nico Hulkenberg as one of the options.

He did, however, also touch on an approach where Audi hires a bright young prospect for the team. He said,

"It makes sense to have at least one driver with experience because we have to overcome many challenges at once. So it can be two experienced drivers or one with experience and a strong rookie."

The coming few months are going to be interesting because they will dictate the path Audi and Carlos take when it comes to securing their future directions in F1.