After Fernando Alonso committed his future to Aston Martin after the Japanese Grand Prix, the Formula 1 driver’s market has slowed down.
Everyone is watching closely to see what Red Bull and Mercedes are going to do in the coming weeks and months.
However, a report from F1 Insider suggests that another driver could have decided to join a new team by the end of May.
There are plenty of drivers putting themselves in the shop window right now after five race weekends.
Carlos Sainz is the most high-profile free agent but his manager has suggested that no decision will be announced before the Miami Grand Prix.
However, he’s been linked with Audi and they may just have secured their first new driver.
F1 Insider reports that Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg has taken one step closer to joining Audi and he only needs to sign his signature on the contract to make the deal happen.
The 36-year-old German has been ‘fantastic’ for Haas this season according to their former team principal Guenther Steiner, scoring points in three out of the first five races this season.
He’s opened up a gap over teammate Kevin Magnussen and is closing down Yuki Tsunoda to top the best of the rest half of the Drivers’ Championship.
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Audi set to sign Nico Hulkenberg with just his signature required
It’s not a surprise that the 36-year-old is heading to Sauber next season.
His current contract expires at the end of the season, but ultimately this move could have happened last winter.
F1 Insider reiterated previous reports that Sauber wanted Hulkenberg for the 2024 season as a replacement for Valtteri Bottas.
However, Haas triggered an extension to keep him with the American team for one more year.
At this stage of the season, they’ll be delighted that they did as if they finish 7 in the Constructors’ Championship then they’ll earn tens of millions in additional prize money.
That would be a fantastic parting gift from Hulkenberg being he puts his signature to an Audi contract and becomes the first driver to sign for the German manufacturer.
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Eyebrows may have been raised when Fernando Alonso signed a multi-year deal with Aston Martin when he’ll be 43 at the end of this season.
However, the report from F1 Insider suggests that Hulkenberg is also set to sign a ‘long-term’ deal with Audi and only his and the team’s signature is missing at this stage.
While both parties are officially staying silent at this stage, a statement on the move could be released by the end of May.
Hulkenberg’s new deal is expected to be at least three years long, but like Alonso’s contract, it’s unclear at this stage if his role will be as a driver for the entirety of that time.
The challenge for Audi now is to bring in Carlos Sainz as Hulkenberg’s teammate.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has suggested that Audi have made a bid for Sainz that they can’t match.
The Spaniard is in race-winning form right now and joining a Sauber team that haven’t scored a point this season is a big step down.
However, the opportunity to join a works team with serious racing pedigree in other series might end up being the most tempting option for Sainz.
Everything is starting to fall into place for Audi and possibly for Oliver Bearman too, who now has a clear run to replace Hulkenberg in 2025.
The post Report: ‘Fantastic’ F1 star now set to sign ‘long-term’ deal with rival team, they just need his signature appeared first on F1 Oversteer.
