Nico Hulkenberg is likely on his way to Audi’s future Formula 1 team and has already announced his departure from the Haas team at the end of the season.
For a long time, Hulkenberg, who returned to the circuit before the 2023 season, was on the lists of the future team of “Audi”. The unit will officially enter F1 in 2026, but there is already a gradual process of taking over the Sauber unit, which was accelerated by the purchase of all shares a couple of months ago.
“Audi” company held discussions with several pilots and set May 1 as the deadline for making decisions. The other main candidate for a place in the team is Carlos Sainz, whose priority at the moment is Red Bull or another leading team that would provide opportunities to fight for victories in the short term.
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There is no official news about Hulkenberg’s future plans yet, but it is very likely that an announcement from Audi is also expected in the near future. After the departure of the German pilot, a place becomes available in the Haas team, which is most likely already reserved for the debut of Oliver Berman.
It is also not clear who could be Hulkenberg’s teammate in the 2025 season, if Sainz decides to look for happiness elsewhere for the time being. The current drivers Guan Yu Zhou and Valtteri Bottas could both likely lose their place in the Sauber team, as Audi has not included them in their plans.
