AUDI CONFIRM LONG-SUSPECTED NICO HULKENBERG MOVE AFTER HAAS EXIT SEALED

Nico Hulkenberg’s long-suspected move to Audi has finally been confirmed with the German manufacturer stating he will join Sauber in 2025 ahead of their arrival in 2026.

Hulkenberg had been reported as being at the top of Audi’s list ahead of their F1 arrival in 2026 and they have finally got their man with the 36-year-old set to swap Haas for Sauber at the end of this season.

Audi confirm Nico Hulkenberg move ahead of F1 2026 arrival

Hulkenberg returned to the F1 grid in 2023 when Haas opted to bring him in to partner Kevin Magnussen and since then, his stock has risen significantly largely thanks to some impressive qualifying performances.

His form led to his name being linked with Audi, who will arrive in 2026, and that move has now been confirmed by all parties.

CEO of the future Audi F1 factory team Andreas Seidl said: “The signing of Nico is the next milestone for Audi’s Formula 1 project. With his speed, his experience and his dedicated teamwork, he will make an important contribution to Audi’s entry in 2026 as early as next year.

“Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in tackling a project of this uniqueness together. Nico is a strong personality, his determination and desire on a professional and personal level will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

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Hulkenberg said: “The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula 1 with such determination, it’s a unique opportunity. To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honour for me.”

Haas meanwhile have thanked Hulkenberg for his efforts but team principal Ayao Komatsu said there was still more work to do this year.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Nico for his contributions to the team,” Komatsu said. “There’s lots more racing to go this year so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his inputs throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.”

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2024-04-26T09:13:28Z dg43tfdfdgfd