Last week, Audi confirmed that they agreed a multi-year deal with Nico Hulkenberg. More than a decade on from his last stint with Sauber, he’s back for 2025.
Hulkenberg previously raced for the Swiss team in 2013, a single campaign sandwiched between two spells at Force India. He’ll race in their colours once again next year ahead of Audi’s 2026 takeover.
The German driver bids farewell to Haas and teammate Kevin Magnussen after what’s largely been a solid and stable partnership. Many feared a combustible dynamic when the pairing was first announced.
That was after an infamous spat between the drivers at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix. But as it turns out, Magnussen and Hulkenberg have worked effectively in the best interests of a team scrapping desperately for points in the lower midfield.
In Saudi Arabia this year, Magnussen tactfully held up a train of cars to allow his teammate to build a gap ahead. That meant he was able to grab 10th place in the end.
But speaking on the F1 Nation podcast, Natalie Pinkham warned Audi that things could be more fractious if they pit Hulkenberg alongside another of their targets. The expectation is that there will be a whole new line-up at the team next year.
Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are both out of contract at the end of the campaign. And Audi doesn’t seem to rate either driver especially highly.
Natalie Pinkham sends Nico Hulkenberg warning to Audi
In the eyes of Pinkham, Bottas and Zhou have offered Sauber a healthy dynamic. Having at least one of them in the team is likely to ensure things remain peaceful.
She accepts that a line-up featuring Hulkenberg and top Audi target Carlos Sainz would be more exciting on paper. But she’s warned the team against chasing ‘headlines’ at the expense of harmony.
She said: “Bottas has actually had a decent upturn in form of late. He’s been brilliant the last couple of races. I really like Zhou as well, I think they’re both really good teammates.
“I think they gel pretty much with anyone. They’re not difficult, are they?
“I can see that the Sainz-Hulkenberg pairing would grab the headlines a bit more. Obviously Sainz needs to secure a seat and should really have his pick given his run of form.
“But I could see there being more fireworks between Hulkenberg and Sainz, than say, Hulkenberg and Bottas or Hulkenberg or Zhou. What dynamic are you looking for within the team?”
Where is Carlos Sainz going in 2025?
There’s currently a belief that Audi may represent Sainz’s most likely destination for 2025. The £184k-a-week star (via Spotrac) is out of a drive after Ferrari decided not to renew his contract and sign Lewis Hamilton instead.
Red Bull director Helmut Marko recently claimed that the German manufacturer had blown rival suitors out of the water financially with their offer to Sainz. But CEO Andreas Seidl insists they don’t want targets to be motivated by money.
Audi initially put pressure on Sainz to sign quickly, but they have now relented. They’re ready to give him space and time to make his decision.
Seats at Red Bull and Mercedes may appear more desirable. But as it stands, they’re not available on his terms.
Sergio Perez is expected to keep his drive alongside Max Verstappen if he maintains his current form. And Mercedes have only offered Sainz a one-year deal.
This makes it all the more likely that we’ll see a reunion between Sainz and Hulkenberg. They previously raced together at Renault (now Alpine) in 2017 and 2018.
In a somewhat bizarre situation, Sainz left Toro Rosso to join Renault early for the final four races of 2017. That afforded him preparation time for his first (and, as it turned out, only) full season with the team in 2018.
As you can see in the table above, they were extremely closely matched before Sainz jumped ship to McLaren. Hulkenberg had a slight edge for points and was quicker over one lap, but they finished level-pegging in races they both completed.
It remains to be seen whether it would be quite so tight this time. Hulkenberg will turn 37 next year, while 29-year-old Sainz appears to be in his prime after recent wins in Australia and Singapore.
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