EXCLUSIVE: Audi F1 star speaks out on rumoured team-mate

Nico Hulkenberg has given his verdict on the rumours speculating who could be his future team-mate at Audi.

The German has had quite the career in F1, starting out with Williams in 2010 and went on to race for the likes of Force India, Sauber and Renault, coming painfully close to a podium on numerous occasions.

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His career seemed to be over after his departure from Renault in 2019, but after a couple one-off appearances for Racing Point and Aston Martin, Hulkenberg made a return to the grid full time in 2023 with Haas.

Now, the 36-year-old has agreed a deal to return to Sauber for the 2025 season, who will become Audi come the 2026 season, on a long-term deal.

Hulkenberg address Sainz rumours

Hulkenberg sat down for an exclusive interview with GPFans to discuss the latest move in his long career in F1.

"It always depends on your alternatives, on what is on the table," he said, talking about his decision to leave Haas.

"For me it is a very interesting and exciting project. There are great ambitions, but also very great expectations. That is always the case when a manufacturer joins Formula 1. German manufacturer, German driver...

“I know what they are doing, how seriously they take it and what they want to achieve in Formula 1. That was very interesting and sexy for me, I wanted to be part of that."

With Hulkenberg confirmed as a Sauber driver, there is one seat left vacant for 2025, with current drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu both out of contract come the end of the year, with no guarantee that either of them will be retained.

Carlos Sainz has been heavily linked with the seat for when he leaves Ferrari and Hulkenberg stated that he would welcome the Spaniard at the team, but that he does not have a say about who his team-mate will be.

"He is one of the best drivers of the moment and he has knowledge from Ferrari that he would bring with him,” he said.

“As a driver he has all the qualities you need. He is a multiple race winner, that is very valuable. But I don't know if he will be. I am relaxed and open about it, never had a problem with a teammate.”

2026 will see new revolutionary regulations for the sport, and the German expressed his excitement about the changes when Audi join the grid that year.

"The positive thing is that 2026 will be a kind of reset," he explained. "New regulations, new cars, new powertrains... That means it's a blank sheet of paper when all the teams start developing their cars, and that gives Audi a good chance to be at a good level straight away."

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