Mick Schumacher received a boost to his chances of returning to the Formula 1 grid as one potential employer admitted their interest in the young German.
Much was expected of Schumacher when he first entered the sport. A significant proportion of that hype came because his father Michael is a seven-time world champion, though he established himself as a top prospect in his own right by winning the Formula 2 championship.
But his two years racing for Haas did not go to plan. In his debut season he had an entirely uncompetitive car which was incapable of scoring even a single point. But in that sophomore campaign last year, with a better machine at his disposal, his struggles continued.
The wait for points in F1 went on in the early rounds of the 2022 season, while team bosses were further annoyed by his habit of hefty and expensive crashes. Impressive results at Silverstone and in Austria finally saw him pick up some momentum, but it tailed off as quickly as it arrived and he failed to finish in the top 10 again for the rest of the year.
Schumacher is now a reserve at Mercedes, having been replaced by Haas. He is currently waiting to see what options present themselves for his next race drive in the sport, with the most likely option coming in the form of a new entrant.
Audi will join the F1 circus officially in 2026 when the existing Sauber outfit, currently branded as Alfa Romeo, becomes the German carmaker's works team. While a racing role remains a few years away, Audi want to hire a driver soon to help with the development of their car and engines.
His father helped to establish the Mercedes team in F1 and so it would be fitting for him to get a similar chance with another of his homeland's automotive giants. Audi have admitted their interest in having a German driver like Schumacher on board, though negotiations are yet to begin.
"There have been no concrete discussions with Mick Schumacher regarding a commitment," the brand's chief executive Markus Duesmann told Der Spiegel, though he did not rule out the prospect of approaching the man who turns 24 later this month.
He added: "Of course, German drivers interest us as much as they interest the top of the parent company, but that is not a requirement for us. We are currently talking to many decision-makers, drivers, team managers."
