Nico Hulkenberg made the decision to leave Haas and join Sauber in 2025, with the team set to be acquired by Audi in 2026. The German driver will have better prospects in Formula 1 with the automotive giant. However, leaving the Haas team would not have been an easy choice after the constructor helped him make a return to F1. Now, the 36-year-old driver has revealed how the team boss tried to prevent him from making the move.
Alongside Hulkenberg, Carlos Sainz was also one of the main candidates for a spot at Sauber in 2025 before Audi’s arrival in 2026. Sainz did not respond to the “ultimatum” and chose to wait. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg finalized a deal with Audi for the upcoming season. The German driver mentioned that he had a great working relationship with the team boss until the announcement. He also had an open conversation with the team boss about the possibility of joining the German manufacturer in the future.
Letting go of Hulkenberg would not have been an easy decision for the team boss. The 36-year-old driver acknowledged that the team boss made every effort to make him stay. Hulkenberg revealed that the 48-year-old boss “fought” for him and did everything possible to convince him to stay. However, despite these efforts, Nico Hulkenberg still chose to join the German automaker.
Although the Haas F1 team has performed better than Sauber in the 2024 season so far, Audi presented promising opportunities for the team’s drivers. Therefore, Hulkenberg believed that leaving Haas for Audi was an obvious decision. The 36-year-old driver stated that he had already considered this before finalizing the agreement.
In addition, Hulkenberg expressed his satisfaction with the Haas F1 team for giving him the chance to make a return to Formula 1. However, in the end, he chose to join a team that would provide him with better results. According to the 36-year-old driver, Audi offered a more promising sports future as he seeks to achieve his first career podium.
Nico Hulkenberg will seek to finish the season strong with Haas before turning his attention to Sauber and Audi. The Haas F1 team has given the 36-year-old driver a great opportunity to achieve good results this season. Additionally, they have shown excellent teamwork with the German driver since the beginning of the 2024 season.
