Tag: Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg joins Sauber for 2025 Formula 1 season, first Audi driver

Nico Huklenberg will join Sauber for the 2025 F1 season and become Audi’s first driver when they take over the race team in 2026.

[autotag]Nico Hulkenberg[/autotag] returned to Formula 1 with Haas after not being in a ride, and his return has now reached a new level. On Friday morning, Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber announced that Hulkenberg will join the team for the 2025 season. It is unknown who the 36-year-old driver will replace, but this is notable for one major reason that doesn’t relate to next year.

In 2026, German manufacturer Audi will take over for Sauber. This means Hulkenberg will be Audi’s first driver, which is precisely what the manufacturer wanted from the start. Hulkenberg is a German driver, and Audi wanted a driver from the country. The German driver is also a good selection because of his consistent runs and ability to do well against teammates.

Carlos Sainz is another driver who has been linked to Audi, which would really complement and challenge Hulkenberg. For now, Hulkenberg will look forward to his first season with Sauber before Audi takes over in 2026. The German driver has been impressive since he returned, and nothing suggests that will change soon.

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Komatsu praises Hulkenberg’s impact on Haas after departure news

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the impact Nico Hulkenberg has had on the team following confirmation the German will leave to join the Audi Formula 1 project at the end of the season. Hulkenberg joined Haas in 2023 and duly scored nine of …

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu praised the impact Nico Hulkenberg has had on the team following confirmation the German will leave to join the Audi Formula 1 project at the end of the season.

Hulkenberg joined Haas in 2023 and duly scored nine of the team’s 12 points last year, as well as making multiple appearances in Q3 as his qualifying performances stood out. This year has been similarly productive so far, with Hulkenberg scoring points in three of the first five races, but he will not stay with Haas beyond the end of his current contract in order to join Stake in 2025, one year before the team becomes Audi.

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With Haas showing a clear improvement in race performance this season — an area of struggle in 2023 — Komatsu says Hulkenberg has been central to that step forward.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Nico for his contributions to the team in the time that he’s been here with us – he’s been a great team player and someone we very much enjoy working with,” Komatsu said.

“His experience and feedback have proved invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance – a fact that’s clearly evident in both his qualifying and race performances in the VF-24 this season. There’s lots more racing to go this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his inputs throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.”

Haas says it will not name a replacement for Hulkenberg in the immediate future, although Ferrari reserve driver Ollie Bearman has been heavily linked with a race seat at Haas in 2025 following his FP1 outings and impressive one-off appearance for Ferrari at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix last month.

Kevin Magnussen’s contract is also due to expire at the end of this season, with the Dane having been part of Haas’ lineup for all but two of the team’s years in F1.

Hulkenberg to leave Haas for Audi project in 2025

Nico Hulkenberg will join the Audi Formula 1 project by moving to Stake in 2025 on a multi-year deal, bringing an end to his time racing for Haas. Haas signed Hulkenberg ahead of the 2023 season after he had been out of a full-time Formula 1 seat …

Nico Hulkenberg will join the Audi Formula 1 project by moving to Stake in 2025 on a multi-year deal, bringing an end to his time racing for Haas.

Haas signed Hulkenberg ahead of the 2023 season after he had been out of a full-time Formula 1 seat for three years, and the German duly delivered impressive performances, particularly in qualifying. This year his strong form has continued, with three point-scoring results in the first five races, making him a key target for Audi when it becomes a full constructor from 2026 onwards.

“I’m returning to the team I worked with back in 2013 and have fond memories of the strong team spirit in Switzerland,” Hulkenberg said. “The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity. To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honor for me.”

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With Hulkenberg becoming the first confirmed driver for Audi when it enters in 2026, future Audi F1 CEO Andreas Seidl — currently CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG — says his experience will be vital to the team’s development.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here in Hinwil from 2025 and to compete with him in Formula 1,” Seidl said. “With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team — and of Audi’s F1 project.

“Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in building something long-term together. Nico is a strong personality and his input, on a professional and personal level, will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

In addition to Hulkenberg’s returning to the team over a decade on from a year racing for Sauber in 2013, the agreement also marks a reunion for him with Seidl, who was the Porsche team principal in the World Endurance Championship when Hulkenberg won at Le Mans for the team in 2015.

The news also confirms the departure of at least one of the current Stake lineup of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu at the end of this season. Carlos Sainz has been heavily linked with a move to join the Audi project following the end of his Ferrari contract this year.

Hulkenberg unimpressed with Alonso’s Australian GP tactics

Nico Hulkenberg says he “wasn’t very impressed” with Fernando Alonso’s tactics defending against George Russell in Melbourne, after the Spaniard was penalized for slowing in a straight line. Alonso was given a retrospective drive-through penalty – …

Nico Hulkenberg says he “wasn’t very impressed” with Fernando Alonso’s tactics defending against George Russell in Melbourne, after the Spaniard was penalized for slowing in a straight line.

Alonso was given a retrospective drive-through penalty — converted into 20 seconds of race time — after the Australian Grand Prix due to the way he defended against Russell on the penultimate lap, as the Mercedes drivers lost control at Turn 6 and crashed heavily. Hulkenberg says the corner in question made it the wrong place to perform such a move, even if he accepts drivers do slow in such a manner in different situations.

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“My personal view, and what I saw, I wasn’t very impressed with Fernando’s tactics there to be honest,” Hulkenberg said. “Because Melbourne after all is kind of a street circuit, it’s quite narrow there, we approach that corner with 260/270 clicks, it’s a blind exit, and if for whatever reason the flag system or someone is late and one of us would have t-boned George, I think the outcome and the way he feels might have also been quite different.

“While that tactic is quite a common one in Formula 1, in that particular corner, with that speed, with a blind exit, I think it’s the wrong corner to do it, and it produced quite a dangerous situation.

“What I also don’t understand is right after on the radio he’s talking about throttle issues or throttle stuck or not stuck, but then later on he doesn’t talk about that anymore, he just talks about it being standard procedure and tactics. That doesn’t align — he seems to have changed his opinion there. Like I say, I wasn’t very impressed with that, personally.”

Given his acknowledgement of the specific layout of that corner at Albert Park, Hulkenberg says it’s also important the location and angle of the barrier is revisited to stop cars bouncing back onto the track after Russell ended up on his side in the middle of the circuit.

“It’s the wrong speed range, the wrong corner, and I think also the shift or the change — the deceleration — was quite a big delta, obviously. It’s easy to overreact and lose the rear of the car like happened to George.

“We’ve also seen with that corner — last year with Alex [Albon] who crashed there — that barrier puts a car back onto the circuit. We need to look at that and change something there because that’s really not good when you come around that corner and you have a car in the middle of the track.”

Haas to split car specifications between drivers in Las Vegas

Haas will run two different specifications of car for Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, based on driver preference. Guenther Steiner’s team introduced a major update at the United States Grand Prix last …

Haas will run two different specifications of car for Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen at the Las Vegas Grand Prix this weekend, based on driver preference.

Guenther Steiner’s team introduced a major update at the United States Grand Prix last month but still found itself struggling with many of the race pace issues that had impacted its season. While the upgrade has had an impact, Hulkenberg prefers the previous specification of car so Steiner says the team is allowing the drivers to choose the parts they want to run in Las Vegas.

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“The main drive behind this was Nico feels that for him the old spec suits him better, and Kevin is the opposite,” Steiner said. “We’ve opted to give them what they want, we have two races to go and nothing to lose, so we’ve tried to do what we can.

“We could discuss gathering data, but we’ve got enough data, it’s a decision based on what each driver likes more than anything else. It puts them in a comfortable position so that they’re as happy as they can be with the car they get.”

Away from the sporting challenge of the new race in Las Vegas, Steiner is impressed simply by the attempt to host a grand prix on the Strip, and expand Formula 1’s footprint in the United States.

“I think we all have an expectation, but we know what Las Vegas is about. It’s hard to imagine exactly what it will be like, but it will be a very cool event and something completely different from anything done before in Formula 1.

“To put such effort into racing in a city like Las Vegas is challenging, to say the least, and to make it happen a few years ago was impossible to think about, let alone say. Let’s see what it will be like, but it will surely set a standard for a lot of things in the sport going forward.

“I think it’s fantastic to have three races in the States, especially as the American team. Five or 10 years ago, who’d have thought that we’d have more than one race in the US, now we’ve got three and they’re all very different events – as they would be if we were racing in different continents, not just country. I think it’s good for Formula 1 and the American fans who are coming more to watch and support.

“The standout point for me is the difference between each race. You go to Austin, which is a more ‘traditional’ race with lots of hardcore fans, and then you go to Miami where it’s party central, and then let’s see what Vegas brings. We know it won’t ever be sleeping and we’re racing at night, which is completely different again.”

Verstappen tops Alonso in Dutch GP FP1

Max Verstappen led Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in first practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, as Nico Hulkenberg caused a red flag. Hulkenberg briefly interrupted proceedings when he spun off at the penultimate corner, losing the rear of his …

Max Verstappen led Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton in first practice for the Dutch Grand Prix, as Nico Hulkenberg caused a red flag.

Hulkenberg briefly interrupted proceedings when he spun off at the penultimate corner, losing the rear of his Haas and sliding into the gravel. The banked gravel trap quickly stopped the car and there was only the lightest touch of the front wing against the barrier, but it needed to be removed via a crane so running was delayed by eight minutes.

The interruption cut short Hamilton’s soft tire run, with the Mercedes driver 0.3s up on what was the quickest time at that point when the red flag came out. Having been set for a lap time in the region of 1m12.0s, he ended up with a best lap of 1m12.225 on the same tires later on, 0.1s behind Alonso and nearly 0.3s adrift of Verstappen’s 1m11.852.

It wasn’t a totally smooth session for Verstappen, though, who ended FP1 with a trip through the gravel at Turn 11 having corrected a snap of oversteer under braking.

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Sergio Perez had been fastest at the red flag but ended up fourth overall, ahead of Alex Albon as Williams impressed. Logan Sargeant also caught the eye with the seventh-quickest time, the pair separated by Lando Norris in the McLaren having gone early with their soft tire efforts.

Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10, although Ocon had a slightly worrying moment when he reported his car going on throttle off its own accord when he was trying to slow down shortly after the red-flag period.

It was a tough start to the weekend for Lance Stroll, who missed part of Thursday’s duties as he recovers from an infection and then managed just two laps before he was confined to the Aston Martin garage with a suspected power unit issue that the team needed to investigate. It was a particularly damaging problem given Aston’s upgraded floor that has been introduced this weekend.

Both Ferrari and Alfa Romeo opted against using soft tires in the opening session, with FP1 rookie Robert Shwartzman slowest of those to set a time but completing 24 error-free laps and ending up 1.3s off teammate Charles Leclerc.

Haas F1 re-signs Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg

The American F1 team is looking to continue fielding an experienced driver pair for 2024.

Haas has its driver lineup for the 2024 season locked in.

There will be no changes for the American team in 2024, as the team announced Thursday it had re-signed current drivers [autotag]Nico Hulkenberg[/autotag] and [autotag]Kevin Magnussen[/autotag] to the team for the next season. As of now, it seems that the two have been renewed for just the 2024 season.

Hulkenberg and Magnussen both have experience in Formula 1, having both started a combined 346 races. As it stands, Hulkenberg sits in 14th place with nine points in the World Drivers Championship while Magnussen is in 18th with two points. Hulkenberg has Haas’ best result of the year, a 7th-place finish in the Australian Grand Prix.

Team principal Guenther Steiner told Formula1.com that the team currently has an “extremely solid driver pairing” and that the experience that the two bring to the team is invaluable. Here’s what he had to say about renewing the two drivers:

“Kevin is obviously a very well-known quantity to us, and I’m delighted he’ll return for what will be his seventh season in Haas colours. With 113 starts for our team alone, we know where his strengths lie and his knowledge and experience of our organisation pairs very well with that too.

On the other side of the garage, Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching 200 starts in Formula 1 and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.”

The two will attempt to take Haas to greater heights in 2024. The team is currently eighth in the constructors championship with 11 points, so both Hulkenberg and Magnussen will hope they signed up for a more competitive car in the future.

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Haas retains Hulkenberg and Magnussen for 2024

Haas has announced an unchanged driver lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen for the 2024 season. Hulkenberg has impressed in his first year back in Formula 1 since 2019, scoring nine points and making six appearances in Q3 from the first 12 …

Haas has announced an unchanged driver lineup of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen for the 2024 season.

Hulkenberg has impressed in his first year back in Formula 1 since 2019, scoring nine points and making six appearances in Q3 from the first 12 races. Magnussen returned to the team in 2022 after himself spending a year away from F1, and with an experienced lineup Haas team principal Guenther Steiner has confirmed continuity heading into next season.

“I think it’s safe to say that we’ve had an extremely solid driver pairing this season in Formula 1 and ultimately there was no reason to look to change that moving forward,” Steiner said. “Kevin is obviously a very well-known quantity to us, and I’m delighted he’ll return for what will be his seventh season in Haas colors. With 113 starts for our team alone, we know where his strengths lie and his knowledge and experience of our organization pairs very well with that too.

“On the other side of the garage, Nico’s simply slotted in without fuss or fanfare and proved himself to be a valuable member of the team. He’s approaching 200 starts in Formula 1 and we’re very happy to be the beneficiary of that experience behind the wheel.”

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Magnussen has only added two points to the Haas total so far this season as the team has struggled in race trim, but Steiner says he’s confident he has the right drivers to help the team improve the car and deliver top-10 results regularly once the machinery allows.

“We’ve had to tackle our issues this season with regards to the VF-23, we don’t hide from that, but we’ve been extremely fortunate to have had two drivers whose feedback is invaluable in assisting our engineering objectives.

“Kevin and Nico jelled well right from the get go and together they’ve both scored points, and in particular, Nico has excelled in qualifying — getting into Q3 on six occasions. Having not raced in Formula 1 full-time since 2019 that shows you just how professional he is and how he’s looked after himself physically.

“Of note is also just how much energy both drivers bring to the table — they’ve been fantastic not only in terms of their engagement within the team, but critically, in our partner activations and fan-facing opportunities. Kevin and Nico are clearly enjoying their time in the sport, they both have mature heads on their shoulders, and they fundamentally understand what it is we’re asking of them. In turn, now it’s down to us as a team to look ahead to 2024 and ensure we have a car that’s capable of scoring points consistently.”

The confirmation of the two Haas drivers leaves Lewis Hamilton, Zhou Guanyu and Logan Sargeant — along with the AlphaTauri pair of Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo — without confirmed extensions for 2024.

Haas F1 to address tire degradation with Zandvoort upgrades

The issue has had Haas F1 strong on Saturday and lacking on Sunday so far in 2023.

Haas F1 has done well for itself on Saturdays during qualifying, but the team has struggled during race day on Sundays — and they’re looking to curb one of the main reasons why coming back from summer break.

Haas’ Formula 1 team has suffered a considerable amount of tire degradation during race stints — similar to the adjacent Scuderia Ferrari — and is looking to fix it not only for this year, but in coming years, too. Italian publication FORMU1A.UNO reported Tuesday that Haas will bring upgrades to the Dutch Grand Prix in Zandvoort to address the issue.

Here’s what team principal Guenther Steiner had to say about Haas’ coming upgrades:

“We have got some upgrades coming for Zandvoort on the brake ducts and front wing. But the team is working flat out to make some modifications to the car, which will be coming later on in the year. I can’t give an exact timeline because of the shutdown [during the summer break]. We keep on working, and there are two reasons for this. Firstly, to try and make the car go quicker as you always do with upgrades. But also to know the direction for the VF-24, which is as important, if not more important.”

So far, Haas’ best result in 2023 is 7th, which driver Nico Hulkenberg achieved at the Australian Grand Prix in April. Should Haas be able to get its issues on race day sorted out, the car’s qualifying pace could make it a candidate for a big jump in 2023.

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Qualifying gap to Hulkenberg putting pressure on Magnussen – Steiner

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner suggests the current driver pairing is one he wants to continue with, but expects to see a reaction from Kevin Magnussen to this year’s results. Magnussen was one of the standout drivers of 2022 when paired with …

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner suggests the current driver pairing is one he wants to continue with, but expects to see a reaction from Kevin Magnussen to this year’s results.

Magnussen was one of the standout drivers of 2022 when paired with Mick Schumacher, scoring 25 points, including a stunning fifth place in Bahrain on his return to Formula 1. However, this year Nico Hulkenberg has picked up the majority of the points for Haas, with Steiner surprised at how quickly the German got up to speed in his own comeback season.

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“What we wanted was (Hulkenberg’s) experience to take the team forward, and I think we got what we wanted,” Steiner told SiriusXM. “Firstly, his results are – in my opinion – better than expected, how quickly he was on a good pace.

“And secondly how well he works with the team. He’s really pushing everybody in a positive way, not only saying ‘this doesn’t work’ and then goes off to Monte Carlo.

“No, he’s engaged, he tries to help, he’s giving good feedback on the car, and it’s also good fun to work with him.”

With Hulkenberg outqualifying Magnussen nine to three so far this season, Steiner admits the Dane isn’t happy with the deficit but says he is “pretty happy where we are with the drivers” as it stands.

“It puts on pressure but I think at the moment, we need to look at the numbers and most of the time in qualifying Kevin was behind him, and not by half a tenth, by more than two or three tenths, which obviously puts Kevin under a bit of pressure. But I think the biggest pressure is coming from himself because when you’re a driver and you get beaten by your teammate that’s never nice to be.

“So I think we need to see how he can get out of this to catch up to Nico again, because he should be able to do it and already having a teammate like Nico should help to get there.”

Steiner said the relative gap is one of the reasons he was so keen to have two experienced drivers in the car this season after having replaced Schumacher with Hulkenberg over the winter.

“Absolutely, it’s one of those things that if you have a known quantity then it’s easier to judge also where we are with the car. If you think about Kevin in the form he was at the beginning of the year, and then having a rookie beside him, you don’t really know where you are at,” he said.

“Kevin just doesn’t like how this car drives, but it doesn’t make it a bad car – I mean it’s not a great car because we have the race issue, but in qualifying it’s not a bad car – he needs to get the best out of it.

“But if you have two drivers and one doesn’t like the car and one is a rookie, it’s very difficult to get out of that hole. But now having Nico we know there’s something in the car, we just need to get it all the time.”