Audi era sparks high expectations, but Hulkenberg urges realism

Nico Hulkenberg knows the world will look at Sauber very differently next season – because it won’t really be Sauber anymore, with four famous rings replacing the Swiss outfit’s ‘S’ badge on its car’s nose.

As the team morphs into the Audi works outfit for 2026, the German veteran – who will once again lead the charge along with Gabriel Bortoleto – is bracing for a surge in attention and ambition.

But he’s equally adamant that big expectations must be grounded in reality.

A new badge, a new spotlight

Speaking with typical straight-talking honesty, Hülkenberg laid out exactly what the Audi rebrand will mean – both for the outside world and inside the Hinwil squad’s garage.

“The perception will change, for sure,” Hülkenberg told RACER. “I think being a manufacturer and being Audi of course, there's going to be a lot more eyes on us, a lot more expectations, but we need to be realistic.

“I don't expect that we'll come and be winning races from the get-go, we're at the beginning of a long journey. It's a process and the top teams still have, I think, a big advantage in terms of infrastructure and in terms of factories and all that kind of things. But we're pushing.

“I hope we're catching up, but for sure, being a manufacturer, the expectations will be a little bit different next year.”

It’s classic Hülkenberg: excitement mixed with a heavy dose of real-world perspective. No fairy tales, just facts.

Experience as an accelerant

At 38, Hulkenberg carries one of the most diverse CVs on the grid, having driven for Williams, Force India, Renault, Aston Martin, Haas and, earlier in his career, Sauber itself. He believes that breadth of experience can help Audi fast-track its learning curve.

“I hope [experience] does [help],” he said. “As a driver, obviously you're supposed to race hard, to drive fast, to bring results and performance, but you can also contribute in other ways.

“Obviously the technical side, when regulations change, there's a lot of new things to learn, to get your head around. I hope I can contribute to a faster learning next year.

“I think it’s down to a blend of things. Obviously experience helps, different regulations, different cars – you just have a bigger wealth of knowledge, how things worked in different eras.

“But then it's a blend of what you feel, then obviously what the data measures, what the engineers see.

“It's just a work in progress constantly, you drive, you change things, you test things, you get results, you get answers and you keep going like this and build the picture and build the knowledge.”

In a team that’s essentially starting from a clean sheet – new power unit, new active aero, new everything – having a driver who has lived through ground-effect reboots, hybrid dawns and tyre wars could be the difference between a steep learning curve and a more gradual one.

Pride in a rare opportunity

For Hulkenberg, racing for Audi at this point in his career is more than a new chapter – it’s a personal milestone.

“It's cool," he said. “It's definitely an opportunity that I think doesn't come around that often in a driver's career. It has obviously in the past for other drivers.

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“But for me, coming back in 2023 with Haas and then how things evolved from there, it's a pretty crazy story to land that factory drive with Audi – to be part of it and to be still kicking around after 15 years in the industry.

“So I’m just very proud and happy about that.”

Audi’s arrival promises change – in perception, in scrutiny, and in long-term ambition. Hulkenberg is ready for all of it. Just don’t expect him to promise miracles on day one.

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