F1 | Hulkenberg warned of changes directly by Audi CEO

A year and a half ahead of Audi’s arrival on the Formula 1 grid, the Sauber team is in the midst of a reshuffle, as demonstrated by the hiring of Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley, but it has also emerged that Carlos Sainz will not be their second driver. The Spaniard has chosen to sign for Williams, so the search continues in Hinwil for a suitable candidate to sit alongside Nico Hulkenberg, who is already confirmed for 2025.

However, despite the rumours, the German remains convinced that his signature was the best option available to him, although he revealed that he only learned of the shock of a big-name departure because top manager Gernot Döllner called him “about ten minutes” before the public announcement.

He didn’t expect the CEO to call him personally, as he told Motorsport.com’s German partner Motorsport-Total.com: “I don’t know if it’s important, but I think it’s positive, it shows the respect and seriousness of him and the brand, who don’t take things lightly.

“They are paying attention, they see what is happening, what is happening and that is good, that is very good,” explained Nico Hulkenberg, who received an “explanation” for everything. “That’s why he called me, he gave me a summary.”

Even if the German is silent on the exact content of the conversation, he is under no illusions that he has understood everything and it is clear that a lot of work awaits him with the Ingolstadt project: “It is a big challenge, there is no doubt, going to what will be Audi, what will be a German manufacturer, being a German driver, creates a lot of expectations, so for sure it will not be easy.”

“My approach to the job and definition will not change, I will go there with my all and try to contribute as much as I can in and out of the car. It’s what I love to do, hopefully collectively we can make it a success,” he continued, explaining that he believes the combination of his nationality with that of the brand makes things “special in a way.”

However, it wasn’t the “deciding factor” but rather the fact that the bar was higher: “I like that explanation, the bar is higher, with the positive and negative aspects. The negative side is that if you don’t get results, the pressure is higher. You’re in the spotlight, there’s going to be a lot of PR work, much more demanding from that point of view, but it’s a great opportunity.”

It is much more appealing than Haas, where Nico Hulkenberg had a second youth, and his departure from the American team was not dictated by resentment: “It always has a bitter taste, most of the time it is bittersweet to leave a team, because you build relationships, you like working with most of the people.”

However, he is confident about his departure: “It’s about more important things, about the future. I changed for a reason, there’s a strategy behind it and a reason, so that’s how it is.”