(Motorsport-Total.com) – Audi project manager Mattia Binotto has commented on the speculations linking Carlos Sainz and Oscar Piastri with the German manufacturer. The Italian emphasized that he is completely satisfied with the current driver pairing of Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto.
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“First of all, I don’t read newspapers myself or at least not many, so I hear it from you,” Binotto said to RacingNews365 when asked about the links to Sainz and Piastri. Both drivers have recently been associated with a move to the Ingolstadt team. (All drivers of the 2027 season at a glance)
And not without reason: Sainz already held serious talks with Audi during 2024 when he was looking for a new cockpit after Ferrari announced the signing of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.
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However, the Spaniard ultimately moved to Williams and secured two podiums in his first season for the traditional Grove team. This season, however, the team’s performance has significantly declined, which promptly sparked new speculation about his future.
Binotto admits: Sainz “is someone I know very well”
“Carlos is certainly someone I know very well, and it is somehow easy and obvious to link him with Audi,” admits Binotto, who also knows Sainz well from their time together at Ferrari. “But I can only say that I am very satisfied with the driver pairing we have.”
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“When Gabriel and Nico are talked about, I often hear that it is a good mix of experience on one side and a young driver on the other,” says the Audi project manager, probably also referring to recent statements by Allan McNish.
“I would judge them differently instead. They are two very fast drivers, and I am happy because they are both fast. So we have a good driver pairing,” says Binotto. “That other drivers are linked with our team can only make me very happy because it shows that the credibility of our project is increasing.”
“It shows that the perception from outside that we can be competitive one day is no longer just a guess but a fact.” For 2027, however, the matter seems clear: Nico Hülkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto will also drive for Audi in Formula 1 next year.
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