Sauber driver Nico Hülkenberg celebrated his 38th birthday on Tuesday. The German Formula 1 veteran is among the oldest drivers on the grid, but has the security of a multi-year contract with the future Audi factory team. While Sauber is on the rise in anticipation of the takeover by the German car giant, Hülkenberg is not making any predictions about competitiveness. The new regulations offer opportunities, but provide no guarantees.
Despite one of his strongest seasons in years – with the highlight being his much-coveted first podium finish in Silverstone – Hülkenberg emphasizes that it is ‘almost impossible’ to predict the course of the future Audi team. During the past race weekend in Hungary, the last Grand Prix before the summer break, the German was at least positive about Sauber’s development. Under the leadership of former Ferrari team boss Mattia Binotto, the team is gradually being transformed into an Audi racing stable.
“When I look back, I think it’s definitely more positive than ever,” he told the media in Budapest. “Of course, when you see where we were in the winter tests and compare that with the races after Barcelona, we really had a few very strong weekends. The trend is good. It would have been nice if we had been this strong from the start, but that’s just not how it went. Fortunately, things have clearly been moving in the right direction lately.”
No Predictions
However, Hülkenberg warned that the midfield battle will remain intense, possibly even when Audi enters the scene next year. “At the moment, there are five teams that are incredibly close to each other,” he explained. “Depending on the day, the circuit, and the conditions, the momentum shifts a little bit.” When asked if he fears that Sauber could fall back next season after the Audi takeover, the German responded that he really can’t make any predictions.
“Hopefully not,” Hülkenberg responded soberly. “But as for expectations – it’s very difficult to predict anything concrete. Honestly, it’s almost impossible – we need to stay realistic. This will be a huge challenge for everyone. New regulations offer opportunities, but they don’t guarantee anything.” For now, the birthday boy remains primarily focused on the current organization. “The most important thing is that we get all the right things in order: continue to grow, improve the infrastructure. Only in this way can we become a real factory team. We are working hard on this, that much is clear, but the work never stops.”
