Sauber has announced the signing of current Haas Formula 1 driver Nico Hulkenberg to a multi-year contract ahead of Audi’s arrival on the grid in 2026.
Hülkenberg, 36, will leave Haas at the end of 2024 after two seasons with the American team, his departure being revealed on Friday morning.
This was quickly followed by confirmation from Sauber that it had signed Hulkenberg to race in 2025 and beyond, ensuring he will be part of the team as it progresses to the factory F1 team of Audi in 2026.
“The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special,” Hülkenberg said in a statement. “When a German manufacturer launches into Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity. Representing the factory team of such a car brand with a German-made powertrain is a great honor for me.
The deal had long been rumored after Audi set its sights on Hülkenberg to help develop its F1 project last year. Sauber CEO and future Audi F1 boss Andreas Seidl said Hulkenberg would be an “important part of the transformation of our team”.
Hülkenberg joined the F1 grid with Haas in 2023 after three seasons without racing full-time, but quickly proved he had lost none of his pace by leading the team’s efforts throughout the year last.
The announcement marks the latest big step in the F1 driver market for next year, which was sparked by Ferrari’s clash with Lewis Hamilton in early February.
Audi has made current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz its top target to join the team next year after the Spaniard was left without a seat following Ferrari’s move for Hamilton.
GO FURTHER
Adrian Newey’s future at Red Bull on hold
With top spots still available at Red Bull and Mercedes for next year, Sainz is yet to make a firm decision on his future, knowing that racing for Audi would likely be a longer-term building project.
Audi announced in 2022 that it would enter F1 for the first time from 2026, acquiring the Sauber team and building its own engine. But Sauber currently sits in last place in the F1 constructors’ championship after failing to score a point in the first five races of the season.
Hulkenberg’s signing means at least one of Sauber’s current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, will leave the team at the end of the season. This also opens up a seat at Haas for next year, which currently features Hulkenberg alongside Kevin Magnussen.
The hot favorite to join Haas is young Briton Oliver Bearman, who made a surprise F1 debut in Saudi Arabia for Ferrari after Sainz withdrew due to appendicitis.
Bearman, 18, finished seventh despite limited practice, drawing praise from across the F1 grid. He is already expected to take part in six testing sessions for Haas this year as part of his development alongside his Formula 2 commitments, but Haas is not expected to make a driver decision imminently.
What Hülkenberg can bring to Audi
As unsurprising as this announcement may seem after months of rumors, what is more surprising is why Audi turned to Hülkenberg, already 36 years old, to help build its F1 project.
Hülkenberg already owns the unwanted record for most race starts (208) without a podium, and he will surely take the record for most starts without a win in Miami next weekend after tying it last time in China.
But what Hülkenberg’s return to Haas last year proved is that he still deserves his place in F1, leading the effort alongside Magnussen. He may be a midfield journeyman, flitting between Williams, Force India and Renault – and even spending a year at Sauber in 2013 – but it all adds up to a huge amount of experience that Audi is eager to exploit.
The interest for Audi in having a German driver to launch its new F1 project is obvious, but Hülkenberg can offer much more than that. He’ll know this is a chance to build something big in the final years of his career, given the strength of Audi’s resources and the focus on this project.
(Edmund So/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)