Hulkenberg expects Sauber to build on the strong end of last season
Ahead of the upcoming season, Nico Hulkenberg expects that his new team Sauber will be able to continue to make inroads, building on the improvements it achieved in the closing phases of last season.
Following test driver roles from 2007 to 2009, Nico Hülkenberg made his F1 debut with Williams in 2010. After claiming his maiden pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix, he was replaced by Pastor Maldonado at the end of the season. He joined Force India as a reserve driver in 2011, who promoted him to a full-time seat for the 2012 season.
In 2013, he competed for Sauber, before returning to Force India in 2014 to partner Sergio Pérez. After three further seasons at Force India, Hülkenberg switched to Renault for 2017. At the end of the 2019, he was replaced by Esteban Ocon for the 2020 season, and he returned to Force India as a reserve driver from 2020 to 2022.
During the coronavirus-affected 2020 F1 season, Hülkenberg substituted for Pérez and Lance Stroll at three Grands Prix in 2020, and for Sebastian Vettel at two in 2022.
He returned as a full-time driver for the 2023 season, driving for Haas alongside Kevin Magnussen. Hülkenberg will now re-join Sauber for his 2025 campaign, ahead of their acquisition by Audi in 2026.
The German racer was granted an early release from Haas after the season-closing race in Abu Dhabi. It enabled the Emmerich-born racer to put in his first laps with Sauber during the post-season Pirelli tyre test at the Yas Marina Circuit.
Reflecting on his first day with the Hinwil-based outfit, Hulkenberg added: "Such a team change, it's not just a new car. There are 80 new faces, new names at the back. And then the car. It always feels strange at first. Just like when you get a car at the rental car counter every week that you've never driven before.
"It takes a moment to get into the groove and feel comfortable. But the test was positive, as positive as it could be. It was valuable to gather initial impressions, to get a feel for the car, simply because I also believe that Sauber has taken the first step in the right direction with the upgrade from Las Vegas.
"That was a major improvement. And for the last three races, the car was clearly more competitive and closer to the field. That was also my impression during the test. The basis is not so wrong. However, there is still a lot that can be done in the diesel, and there is still a lot to optimize."
Asked about his impressions regarding his new team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, Hulkenberg claimed that he expects the Brazilian to quickly establish himself as a strong competitior at the pinnacle of motorsport.
"He won Formula 3 and Formula 2 as a rookie. He knows where the gas pedal is and seems to learn quickly. Like many others, he will now start next year as a rookie and has a lot to look forward to.
"I am looking forward to working with him and will support him wherever I can because I want us to grow as a team as quickly as possible. The Audi F1 team will be based on that team.
"Audi is a major brand, a big name. Formula One is much bigger now than it was then. I am looking forward to the challenge and am excited to see what time will bring. We are getting a lot of reinforcements. There are still a lot of talented people joining the team," Hulkenberg is quoted as saying by Auto Motor und Sport.
