Audi won’t officially join Formula 1 until 2026, and in the meantime, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber still need a driver for the next season.
We already know that Nico Hülkenberg will race for Stake F1 Team in 2025. While Audi seems to be gradually positioning itself within the team, notably by recruiting him as an experienced German driver, and Mattia Binotto, former Team Principal at Scuderia Ferrari, one mystery remains: who will race in the second seat for Stake F1 Team in 2025?
Mick Schumacher still in the running, according to Binotto
After losing his seat at Haas in 2022, Schumacher was reserve driver for Mercedes AMG for two seasons. While he hoped join the Alpine F1 Team, this option was ruled out, as Alpine chose rookie Jack Doohan, from their young drivers’ academy. A good thing in my opinion, but personally I had been deeply frustrated to see Schumacher leave Formula 1, especially considering his underperforming car didn’t allow him to showcase his true potential. However, Mattia Binotto, Audi’s new boss, has stated in an interview for Corriere della Serra that Schumacher is still on their radar for 2025.
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Sauber still looking for a teammate for Hülkenberg
Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou have both been considered, but no decision has been made yet. Binotto emphasized that Audi is taking its time to decide: the choice will either be a young talented driver or a more experienced and mature one. Could it be a German driver? Audi has always desired to have at least one German driver, and with Nico, they’ve already met that goal. Fun fact: the last time a driver named Nico raced for a German constructor, he became Formula 1 world champion…
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Audi won’t be competitive in Fomula 1 until 2030
Binotto highlighted the importance of long-term thinking for Audi’s project, which may take until 2030 before they can seriously contend for titles in F1. Indeed, massive financial investments alone do not guarantee victory. We’ve seen this with Aston Martin Racing and Mercedes AMG Petronas this year-two major constructors in Formula 1, yet neither is in contention for titiles. Audi and Binotto are thus seeking both experience and raw talent. In my opinion, they’ll get the experience with Hülkenberg, so why not recruit Mick Schumacher for his youth? He already some experience, plus he’s gained valuable time racing in the World Endurance Championship.
What are the rookie options for Stake F1?
First, there’s Théo Pourchaire, the 2023 Formula 2 World Champion whi has been with Sauber’s Academy since 2019. The French druver almost won the F2 championship in 2022, but Drugovich took the title, which somewhat hurt his career. Pourchaire then moved on to Super Formula and IndyCar. He’s fast, has already done free practice sessions for Sauber, and despite his young age, he’s building up some experience in single-seaters. I believe he has the maturity to race in Formula 1. In fact, I don’t understand why he’s not already there. Well, I do-unfortunately, Pourchaire lacks sponsors to strengthen his candidacy. Another option is Franco Colapinto, who replaced Logan Sargeant at Williams and has proven every weekend since that he has the ability to race in Formula 1. Even though he’s not par of Sauber’s academy, he would be a great fit for Audi, as he’s showing immense promise in one of the grid’s weakest cars.
Personally, I dream of seeing Schumacher back in Formula 1. Haas cut him loose too soon, not giving him time to develop. He was under unbearable pressure, and there were too many expectations placed on him, despite driving for a team that made the poor decision of fielding two rookies in a bad car. He was always a fighter, though-I still remember the 2022 British Grand Prix where he battled Max Verstappen. With Binotto still considering him as an option, let’s hope we see him behind the wheel of an F1 car next year.
Source: Corriere della Serra