Nico Hulkenberg Finds Tie up With Audi Just a ‘Simple a Sporting Opportunity’

Nico Hulkenberg Finds Tie up With Audi Just a ‘Simple a Sporting Opportunity’

Nico Hulkenberg will join Sauber next year, ahead of the team’s rebranding as Audi in 2026. When asked about being a German driver for one of Germany’s largest automobile manufacturers, the 37-year-old described it as purely a sporting decision.

“For me, it’s simply a sporting opportunity that has come my way in my career. Racing for a manufacturer,”  he said in an interview.

In terms of big-name signings, Hulkenberg was the first to be announced by the Neuberg-based manufacturer. Hulkenberg is being dubbed as the leader of the project at Audi. Naturally, there is a sense of German representation and pride.

Since Sebastian Vettel’s retirement in 2022, Hulkenberg remains the only German driver on the grid. Despite rumors of Vettel’s potential comeback, it appears that, for now, this will remain the case.

Sauber/Audi is yet to name the 37-year-old’s teammate, however. As things stand, Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto are all in the running to drive for the Hinwil-based team in 2025.

Who will drive alongside Hulkenberg?

Team principal Mattia Binotto has plenty of options when it comes to finalizing his driver lineup for next season. Bortoleto, currently leading the F2 standings, is a strong candidate for the seat after being released by McLaren to pursue the opportunity.

On the other hand, Colapinto has also emerged as a strong contender after his impressive performances for Williams. His team principal, James Vowles, has expressed his intent to secure a seat for the 21-year-old in F1 next year. However, Colapinto will not be retained by the Grove-based team due to Carlos Sainz’s arrival in 2025.

Amid this, Bottas, who has been driving for the team since 2022, finds his F1 future hanging in the balance. As he revealed, he has an option to drive for the team next year but is yet to hear from Binotto about their intentions to retain him.

Despite this, the #77 driver is still hopeful of driving in F1 next year. With no other vacant seat elsewhere, Sauber is the Finn’s last chance at securing a drive in 2025 and beyond.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Audi Nico Hulkenberg Sauber

About the author

Anirban Aly Mandal

Anirban Aly Mandal is an F1 writer at The SportsRush, with over 1000 articles under his belt, Anirban's love for F1 started when he discovered a copy of F1 2014 on his computer. With over half a decade's worth of time spent religiously following the sport, he’s dived deep into the world of motorsports. However, Anirban's expertise goes beyond just writing - he has also written several academic papers focused on the domain of motorsports and the law. His passion for the sport is so immense that he aspires to work as a legal advisor in the most prestigious racing series in the world someday. When it comes to Formula 1, Anirban finds great pleasure in re-watching classic races and idolizes the likes of Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell, and Sebastian Vettel. His top picks include Brazil '91, Silverstone '92, and Germany '19. Outside of the sport, Anirban is an avid sim racer, often found racing on titles like Assetto Corsa, F1 22, and Automobilista. Apart from his interests in gaming, Anirban has a keen interest in philosophy, literature and music.

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