Why trading Haas for Audi "wasn't a no-brainer" for Hulkenberg

From being out of Formula 1 at the end of 2019 to being one of the first names on the shortlist for Audi's impending works entry, Nico Hulkenberg has enjoyed a late career turnaround after many had already written the German off.

Hulkenberg had become F1's modern journeyman, driving for the likes of Williams, Force India, Sauber and Renault, without being able to back up his shock Williams pole at the 2010 Brazilian GP with an elusive podium finish that never arrived.

But after three seasons largely on the sidelines, other than five deputy appearances for Racing Point and Aston Martin, Hulkenberg was handed a second chance by Haas in 2023 and the German went on to turn heads with one of his best seasons yet in 2024, convincing Audi CEO Andreas Seidl to hand him a works seat for years to come.

Speaking in a wide-ranging interview with GP Racing, Hulkenberg explained that leaving Haas for Sauber, which becomes the Audi works team in 2026, wasn't as straightforward as it may seem.

"It wasn't a no-brainer because I really enjoy my time at Haas, I enjoy working with the engineers, with the mechanics, with Ayao [Komatsu], with Guenther [Steiner] last year," the 36-year-old explained.

"Part of me is also still grateful, they made the comeback possible and indirectly gave me this opportunity to go for this next contract now because without them it wouldn't be on the table, so I appreciate that.

"I think there's more room for improvement [at Haas], so it was just a combination of things. I've had situations where I don't feel so well inside a team and that's not great, so now having that is worth quite a lot.

"That's why it wasn't the no-brainer you maybe think.

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas F1 Team, in the garage

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

"When I broke the news to [Ayao] I told him immediately: 'Don't even think that this will change something for me in this current season. I'm a hundred percent committed till the last corner for Haas.'"

Before a return to normality this year, Haas suffered its worst season in its eight-year history in 2023, when it couldn't find solutions to its puzzling lack of race pace caused by crippling tyre wear issues.

But while Haas languished at the bottom of the field on Sundays, Hulkenberg said his three-year hiatus from F1 changed his perspective and ensured the team's plight didn't dent his motivation.

"No, you can't really afford to lose motivation," he said. "It didn't feel great, and of course it did frustrate me during the race and even the days after when I was starting from inside the top 10 and then I finished 16th or 17th.

"But there are only 20 guys in the world that can do this, and the three years out gave me a different appreciation and perception. Even though you think things are tough, if you step back and look from the outside, it's still actually not so bad and it's all relative.

"I still enjoy racing and if you can't win or do anything very meaningful in terms of results, you always at least want to maximise everything else and be able to say: 'Hey, we've left nothing on the table. We didn't make mistakes, but we're just not competitive enough. These are our problems. Let's go and try and fix them.'"

Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24, Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images

Now approaching the twilight of his F1 career, Hulkenberg is finally getting a works drive at Audi and while it might take the German manufacturer several seasons to mingle at the front of the grid, the German isn't too concerned by time running out for him to enjoy the eventual fruits of his labour with the Sauber-run squad.

"You can't predict the future," he said. "Obviously, I have seen and heard a little bit about what Audi is doing and how they're pushing behind the scenes.

"The 2026 regulation change is a very good opportunity for a manufacturer to come in because it's basically a reset button, white piece of paper on the power unit side, on the car side, and it kind of levels the playing field more.

"They have all the ingredients that you need to be successful in Formula 1 and that makes me as optimistic as I can be, but like with anything in life, there's no guarantee.

"I didn't have an offer from Red Bull, so this was the offer that I liked and the one that I had!"

Read the in-depth Nico Hulkenberg interview and more stories from the world of Formula 1 in this month's edition of GP Racing, available online and on the shelves next week