The rumor sounds like classicFormula 1 melodrama: Audi supposedly considered paying Nico Hulkenberg to surrender his race seat so Carlos Sainz could take it during the 2026 season.
Available reporting contains no verified indication that Audi offered Hulkenberg payment, raised a buyout, suggested compensation, or entered formal talks to secure his release. A July 17 PlanetF1 report linked Sainz to Audi, although it said the available position was as a reserve driver rather than a full-time racer.
This is a quote from the report:
“Throughout ’26, it’s understood that discussions have been held between Audi and Sainz’s camp, in a bid to understand whether it’s too late to make a switch into Nico Hulkenberg’s seat, with the suggestion being that a swap deal could be arranged, with Audi perhaps paying Hulkenberg a significant fee to accept vacating his cockpit.”
Audi Still Rates Hulkenberg and Bortoleto
Hulkenberg addressed the speculation at Spa-Francorchamps. He said Audi was satisfied with both drivers and that their contracts were clear, while describing the surrounding chatter as “typical summer F1 noise.”
That is a fairly clear response to the supposed buyout story. It does not prove that nobody inside Audi ever discussed Sainz, but it does mean the public evidence currently points away from an active attempt to remove Hulkenberg.
Hulkenberg was the first driver Audi officially announced for its works team. Audi’s April 2024 statement confirmed that his contract would span Sauber’s 2025 campaign before its 2026 launch as Audi’s factory team.
Why Sainz Keeps Appearing in Audi Rumors
Sainz weighed Audi’s planned entry before ultimately committing to Williams, especially due to his father’s strong relationship with the marque. Sainz Sr. was reportedly disappointed that his son didn’t take the seat in the German outfit.
His current situation explains why the subject resurfaced. Sainz supplied 30 of Williams’ 64 points in 2025, but that the team had managed only 11 combined points with Sainz and teammate Alex Albon by the beginning of the summer break. This is largely due to the overweight FW48.
Sainz has confirmed that he is considering his options over this summer break, and that creates a real driver-market storyline, but it does not confirm that Audi was preparing a check for Hulkenberg.
Audi has also given itself little reason to panic. The Hungarian Grand Prix saw Hulkenberg finish ninth and Bortoleto 11th, giving the team points in three consecutive races. After impressive driving from both pilots, Audi sits eighth in the constructors’ standings with 12 points.
The most defensible version of this story is that Sainz’s future was under discussion while Audi’s name circulated as a possible destination. No evidence has emerged to substantiate the reported payment, but as we all know, these contracts aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. And Sainz is a high value driver eager to sit behind the wheel of a podium-capable car yet again.