‘It’s extremely exciting’ – Can Audi’s F1 arrival finally break Hulkenberg’s podium curse?

Nico Hulkenberg is living his best life right now.

Three years ago, a return to Formula 1 looked bleak. The German had been on the sidelines since being let go by Renault at the end of 2019. He’d scored points in two super-sub appearances for Racing Point in 2022 – but even then, a full-time return was unlikely. 

Then Haas came calling, the American squad were in need of experience, and Hulkenberg had his second act – and a chance to finally end his long wait for a maiden podium (he’s currently 240 Grands Prix weekends and counting without a top-three finish).

The jury was out as to whether he’d still got it, but it soon became clear Hulkenberg’s time out of the sport had done him the world of good. 

An enforced sabbatical had given him an appreciation of how much F1 meant to him and how much he needed it. It gave him a new perspective on racing, too. 

So, when he returned, Hulkenberg looked like he’d never been away. While the Haas wasn’t good enough in race trim in 2023, the German could still show his quality in Qualifying. 

“When I came back in 2023 with Haas, it was like a new girlfriend,” he says when we chat on the balcony of Sauber’s hospitality at the Canadian Grand Prix, a race after his superb fifth-place finish at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain. 

“I had a fresh love. I still feel in love. I like coming to the racetracks, doing all the travels, putting in the hours to work with the team and the factory before and after the events. 

“There is nothing I’d rather be doing. I enjoy it and there’s lots to look forward to with next year coming up.”

It’s no wonder Hulkenberg says life is good. The 37-year-old, who turns 38 in August and is the third oldest driver on the grid, has hit the ground running with Sauber, who were (points-wise) F1’s worst team last year.

He’s made the most of an improved chassis and, more recently, an upgrade package that has hauled the team into being a regular points contender in a ruthlessly tight midfield. 

Hulkenberg has 20 points on the board after 10 races – that’s more than Sauber have scored in the previous two years combined. 

Fifth in Spain was Hulkenberg’s best result since the 2019 Italian Grand Prix in Monza – and came thanks to a sweet moment when he overtook Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari for the position on track (see the clip below).

Consistency has been Hulkenberg’s trademark and he’s shown that brilliantly this year, outperforming his highly-rated rookie team mate Gabriel Bortoleto.

“Obviously, [my experience has been] quite handy and helpful in many situations,” he says. “I have to be sharp, because Gabi is really bringing the heat to the table. 

“He’s a youngster, he’s a rookie, but he’s very impressive. The speed, how clinically he drives, his approach, his attitude, how hard he works. 

“I know he hasn’t had a result yet, but really that’s just a matter of time, because he’s got it all. He’s very impressive and he’s definitely pushing me.”

This is the calibre of driver Audi – who will make Sauber their works team from next season – had hoped they would be getting when signing him on a long-term deal from this year. 

They wanted someone fast who can deliver results consistently while driving the team forward and dovetailing with their young rookie whom they signed from McLaren’s junior programme. 

Audi know they have a big job on their hands to hit the ground running when they debut next year, bringing with them their own power unit built to sweeping new regulations. 

Hulkenberg bet on Audi getting it right with their first foray in F1 – and while he is pleased with how the team is progressing in readiness of the German manufacturer’s arrival, he is aware that Audi’s anticipated performance is a “big unknown”. 

The German one-time polesitter adds: “It’s such a reset and a white piece of paper that everyone starts from. It’s impossible to predict anything.

“The big four teams have an advantage in terms of infrastructure and all these kinds of things. But it’s a good opportunity, because it is a reset, it is a fresh start for everyone with these new regulations.

“It’s extremely exciting and a good opportunity for everyone, including ourselves. We need to work hard, we need to work focused on it and hopefully we’ll come out on the right side of it.”

Hulkenberg – whose F1 career spans back to 2010 – has never been in the right place at the right time and never got the chance to move to a big team when his form warranted it. 

After driving for Williams, Force India, Sauber, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin, Haas and now Sauber again, maybe – just maybe – this move will be the move for the German.

Then it’s down to Hulkenberg to keep doing what he’s doing, and perhaps he’ll finally get that elusive podium he’s been chasing for so long.