Nico Hulkenberg has been showing us so far this 2024 season just how good he is as a racer. Currently behind the wheel of a Haas, the German driver has consistently outperformed his teammate Kevin Magnussen, hinting at the potential he has – a potential that Audi could unlock. Signing a contract with the German automaker earlier in the year, questions are now being asked as to whether he signed too soon with a team that is currently sitting at the back of the grid.
Audi’s entry into Formula 1 aligns with the regulatory changes in 2026. Before officially racing under their banner, they will team up with the existing Sauber team. And while the brand has plenty of resources available and is nabbing the right people from the right teams, they still have plenty of work to do.
So, with that in mind, has Hulkenberg made the wrong decision?
“I don’t think so. I don’t see an opportunity anywhere in the top four teams for me. My mind and my conscious is calm and clear,” he told Sky Sports, quoted by Crash.net.
“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. On top of that, the 2026 rule change offers a really good opportunity for a new manufacturer to come in. It is a reset with the resources, the manpower, the budget and the power of the brand. It is an exciting project for me and my career.”
The German brand recently welcomed Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley to the fold as CTO and team principal, respectively. But they are now tasked with the difficult task of creating a car that can battle with seasoned teams, starting with a package that is currently failing.
“I didn’t say it would come for free, or it is guaranteed. There is a long road, no doubt about it. With Audi, the ambition and pressure is very high. It always is, when you race for a manufacturer. I’m not worried. But I know – and they know – that they need to improve the package.”
Currently, Hulkenberg is impressing under the Haas banner. He sits 11th in the driver standings while his teammate Kevin Magnussen is 16th, and the team has seen a significant resurgence after last year’s struggle.
“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.”
There is another question, however. The racer has started 217 races in his career, and over these races, has never landed on the podium. Is this something he worries about?
“Zero. There is this stat. But there are also facts, like Audi committed to me – a non-grand prix winner – over grands prix winners that were available at the time. Stats are always there but they don’t give you the truth.
“It 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 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…”
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