Nico Hulkenberg, a German race driver, has become a top choice for Audi as they gear up to enter Formula 1 officially as a works team in 2026. Audi is currently partnered with Sauber, and they’re planning for Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz to join Sauber before it becomes Audi’s team in the following year.
Audi was eager to finalize their driver lineup early, aiming to decide by May. Both Hulkenberg and Sainz were top priorities for them. While Sainz is considering other options with teams like Red Bull and Mercedes, Hulkenberg seems to have committed to Audi.
Even though Audi hasn’t officially confirmed their plans, Hulkenberg’s current team, Haas, announced on Friday that he would be leaving at the end of this season. An announcement about his move to Sauber, which will eventually become Audi’s team, is expected soon.
Ayao Komatsu, the team principal at Haas, thanked Hulkenberg for his contributions and praised his role in improving the team’s performance. Hulkenberg’s departure creates an opening at Haas for Ferrari reserve driver Oliver Bearman, who has shown promise during a previous appearance.
It’s not clear yet who will be Hulkenberg’s teammate at Sauber in 2025. Both of Sauber’s current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, are unlikely to stay. Sainz is still a target for Sauber, but he wants to wait and see how things develop with other teams before making a decision.
