F1 News: Nico Hulkenberg Responds To Recent Questions Over 2025 Contract Deal

Alex Harrington | Aug 4, 2024

Nov 17, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Moneygram Haas F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg (27) of Germany greets fans during opening interviews prior to practice 3 at the Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

Nico Hulkenberg, currently with Haas, has openly addressed the speculations and criticisms regarding his early contract signing with Audi's upcoming F1 team, set to make its debut in 2026 alongside the change in regulations. In a recent discussion with Sky Sports, Hulkenberg has confirmed that he is happy with his decision.

Audi's entry into Formula 1 is already making quite a few headlines as they're beginning to show us big names on their press releases. Not only have they confirmed that Mattia Binotto will be coming on as CTO, but Red Bull's sporting director Jonathan Wheatley has also been confirmed as team principal.

The German automaker will initially operate under the Sauber team name before officially launching its own team. The anticipation around Audi's participation is high, with Hulkenberg slated to be the "German face" of the project.

This season, Hulkenberg’s performance for Haas has been impressive. Despite his team landing points in multiple races, he chose to join Audi for their long-term prospects and his belief in their dedication to becoming a competitive force in F1. With a track record of 217 Grand Prix starts without a podium, Hulkenberg is keen to look for a brighter future, But with him showing plenty of potential in the American-owned team, did he confirm his move too early?

“Zero," he confirmed, in regard to whether his current stats worry him. "There is this stat. But there are also facts, like Audi committed to me - a non-grand prix winner - over grand prix winners that were available at the time. Stats are always there but they don’t give you the truth.”

Reflecting on the operational dynamics within Haas, brought by new team principal Ayao Komatsu, Hulkenberg is very happy with the way the team is shaping itself this season:

“We were ready when the top teams, the top cars, were struggling and had issues. We were there to pick up the pieces. For us, that’s big.

“Last year, there was quite a bit of change on the technical side. Some people left the team, there was a reshuffling. Then when Ayao joined the team he made tweaks. It was bottled up before but it freed up people in certain departments. It seems they work more efficiently with higher quality.”

Looking ahead, Hulkenberg acknowledges the extensive challenges and expectations that come with representing a high-profile brand like Audi in the F1 arena. But he is confident in the manufacturer’s strategy and resource commitment, and of course the regulation change which will help in levelling the field.

“Every team always promises you blue sky! We are doing this, and doing that…but obviously, Audi is a pretty powerful and big brand in the world. I know how seriously they are taking it, what they are investing and doing to make sure they are competitive, and are a success,” he shared.

Hulkenberg’s personal journey has been a tough one, but he's not ready to hang up his helmet just yet.

“It [his F1 career] is quite the fairytale story. In 2019 I was tired of F1 and I wanted the break. It was a conscious decision to step away and I was enjoying life away from the motorsport world. Slowly, slowly it crept back into me that I’m not done yet, and there was unfinished business. That time was valuable to me. It is a hell of a motorsport story and a comeback you could not have expected…”