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Soon-to-be Audi driver Nico Hulkenberg believes that the German brand can hit the ground running and could be competitive straight away.
The German driver announced that he would be racing for the Kick Sauber F1 team in 2025 which will be taken over by Audi in 2026. There have been many drivers linked to the seat as the new entrant in the sport and they have been making noise in the silly season.
Speaking with F1.com, the Haas F1 driver said that his interest in the project was present in the 2023 season but it was matched by the German manufacturer this year which resulted in them teaming up. He said:
“Already I think there was interest last year, but obviously I’m here [at Haas]. But the interest still seemed to be there from their side, they were quite keen, and I think [there was] matched interest for the future. Going forward it’s a very exciting, interesting project.”
When asked about if they could be competitive from the off, Hulkenberg added:
“It’s really a white piece of paper [for 2026], and on one side I think that’s good. It’s not a new team but it’s going to be labeled a new team because probably all the know-how and advantage that current teams have, it’s wiped away a little bit, and it’s more a level playing field, [or] starting playing field for everyone.
“I think that offers a good opportunity to be competitive straight away, but expectations are always to be successful as quickly as possible. I have no numbers for you on that.”
Nico Hulkenberg shares his reason for joining Audi
Nico Hulkenberg stated that the Audi F1 project CEO Andreas Seidl was one of his main reasons for joining the team. Hulkenberg won the Le Mans 204-hour in 2015, with Seidl being the team principal of the Porsche LMP1 squad.
As per Motorsport.com, the German said:
“Yeah [and] he's also the driving factor there. One of the deciders, is one of the top key people in the management at Audi. So, of course, it came through him. And he's a very, you know, direct and straightforward guy with me.”
It would be interesting to see who joins the 36-year-old at Audi next year as he would surely be the experienced driver between the pair. The German has got a three-year contract with them that sees him racing for them until 2027.
