Sauber, who will evol✱ve into Audi in 2026, have warned that they will be “a player” in the F1 driver market.

The arrival of the German manufacturing powerhouse Audi into Formula 1 means that they are already preparing the team for its evol🌃ution.

That includes the potential arrival of coveted drivers for Sauberꦓ nex⭕t year.

Carlos Sainz is༺ the key name who is being linked with the pro🐻ject.

Red Bull’s Helmut M🌠arko has claimed they cannot “match or beat” a big-money offer from Audi to Sainz.

"There are 14 dr𒁃ivers without a contract fixed for next year. We are speaking with different drivers," said Sauber team representative Alessandro Alunni Bravi.

"It is not the time for us to make any decision. It🗹's time to provide our drivers with ꧂a performing car.

"But we a♉re happy that it seems that we can play a role - a different role - iꦑn the driver market for the future.

“Thanks to the Audi announcement, an෴d the investments that will be done in order to improve our team.

"Finally 🦂we are attractive. And we are not the spectat🤪ors. We are a player in the market."

Guanyu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas currently make up Sauber🎉’s driver duo but both of their contracts expire this year, and both are at-ri🦩sk of losing their drives.

Ferrari’s Sainz 🍌and Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg have been heavily linked with moving to Sauber to then spearhead Audi’s entry from 2026.

Alunni Bravi refused to confirm any targets, but said: "It's notඣ appropriate to discuss or to disclose what could be the discussi💮on in place.

"No one really knows what other teams are offering to the drivers or d🍨iscussing꧙ with the drivers.

“W✅e don't want to be part of a game that is done by others.

"Every driver🌸 is speaking with a lot of teams to understand𓆉 the situation.

“To understand if there could be a common vision on the project. Especially for a team like us, that is in full transformation process ahead of ꦬ2026.

"But we are🍨 focused on our drivers, and we respect our drivers.”