Carlos Sainz Sr claimed Audi's first victory in the Dakar Rally earlier this week, and then revealed that he does speak with Ferrari son Carlos Sainz Jr about its Formula 1 prospects.
Sainz Sr joined Audi's Dakar programme in 2022, and won the event for the fourth time aboard Audi's RS Q e-tron machine as Sainz emerged victorious despite not winning a stage.
Audi's wider motorsport programme also includes a first attack on F1, with the marque set to take over the Stake team in 2026 when the new power unit regulations are introduced.
Ferrari driver Sainz Jr has been touted as a potential driver for Audi - with Sainz Sr revealing that he does talk to the two-time Grand Prix winner about the Ingolstadt concern's Grand Prix project.
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Sainz talks to Sainz over Audi
"Audi is always a certainty [to be successful], after all, I know how seriously they take every project," Sainz Sr explained in his post Dakar press conference.
"I also know well what the famous German mentality means in practice, both the good sides and not-so-good sides, but we just have to have a lot of respect for the Volkswagen Group with Audi as part of it."
"We all know that Formula 1 is a special world, and I have a lot of respect for Audi.
"In my eyes, it's just a matter of time before they succeed in F1. I don't have a crystal ball, but the moment Audi decides to enter F1, they already command a lot of respect from me with that.
"Of course, it makes sense at Carlos' house to talk about what Audi can get done, all the more so because I am a member of that Audi family."
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