1 week Ago By Michelle
Joining the Audi project from 2024’s big-improvers Haas, Nico Hulkenberg has offered some encouragement to his new team as he believes they made a “big correction” with the car in Las Vegas. Hulkenberg and Audi, although the team will continue to run under the Sauber brand for the F1 2025 championship, announced in April last season that they’d join forces in 2025 with the German signing a multi-year agreement. But as the German scored points in half of the season’s race weekends while Sauber went pointless race after race until Zhou Guanyu broke their duck at the penultimate weekend in Qatar, pundits began to ponder whether he’d made a mistake swapping teams.
While Haas finished the season on 58 points, 41 of those scored by Hulkenberg, Sauber managed just the four that Zhou scored in Qatar. It meant the American team climbed to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship and handed the wooden spoon they’d won in 2023 over to Sauber. Hulkenberg though is anything but despondent about his decision.
👉 The full F1 2025 schedule 👉 F1 2025 driver line-up: Who is confirmed for the 2025 grid? “The Haas example shows that it is possible, even in a short space of time,” he told Auto Motor und Sport. “I also believe that Sauber has already taken the first step in the right direction with the upgrade in Las Vegas. That was a big correction.
“And the last three races, the car was clearly more competitive and closer to the field. “That was also my impression in the test. The basis is not so bad.
Of course, there is still a lot that can be done in detail and there is still a lot to optimise. The direction is clear.” Sauber introduced a notable upgrade package at the Las Vegas Grand Prix, one that included a new underfloor geometry that was allied to revisions around the front ‘fences’ as well as new floor edges and diffuser.
That was the car Hulkenberg drove when he took part in the post-season test at the Yas Marina circuit with his 2025 team. “First of all, lots of new impressions,” he said reflecting on the day. “A team change like this is not just a new car.
First of all, there are 80 new faces and new names at the race track. And then the car. “It always feels strange at first.
Just like when you get a car at the hire car counter every week that you’ve never driven before. It takes a moment to familiarise yourself and feel comfortable. “But the test was positive, as far as it could be.
It was valuable to get some first impressions, to get a feel for the car, to just get to work.” The 37-year-old with his 227 Grand Prix starts will be Sauber’s team leader this season as the team signed rookie driver and F2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto for the second seat. Asked if Bortoleto, who is managed by Fernando Alonso, is the ‘right choice’, Hulkenberg replied: “Only time will tell.
But if you look at his CV, it speaks in his favour. He won Formula 3 and Formula 2 as a rookie. He knows where the accelerator is and seems to be a quick learner.
“Like many others, he is now starting next year as a rookie and has a lot to look forward to. I’m looking forward to working with him and will support him where I can because I want us to grow as a team as quickly and as well as possible.” According to The Race’s Edd Straw, Hulkenberg’s impact was already being felt by Sauber at the Abu Dhabi test where he questioned their procedures.
“Hülkenberg comes in with experience and a fresh perspective,” he said. “And he’s already started doing this in a test, it’s like, why are we doing it this way? We’ve got to do it that way. “Haas were very, very race performance focused last year, very, very focused in terms of what they needed to do to get the most out of the machinery.
If Hulkenberg can bring a little bit of that to the team, he might be pushing against the tide a little bit but that should help the environment he’s in.” Read next: Jack Doohan promised ‘fair crack’ as Alpine boss talks Colapinto ‘options’.
