Nico Hulkenberg says the notion of Sauber will change when it turns into Audi subsequent season, and hopes to make use of his expertise to assist velocity up the workforce’s growth.
Sauber has been a midfield workforce by nearly all of its Method 1 historical past, and apart from a sixth place in 2022, has not completed larger than eighth within the constructors’ championship since 2013. Subsequent 12 months it would develop into the Audi works workforce following a takeover by the German automotive model, and Hulkenberg says that can result in much more consideration even when the workforce can’t anticipate to make a step change.
“The notion will change, for positive,” Hulkenberg advised RACER. “I feel being a producer and being Audi after all, there’s going to be much more eyes on us, much more expectations, however we must be life like.
“I do not anticipate that we’ll come and be profitable races from the get-go, we’re originally of a protracted journey. It is a course of and the highest groups nonetheless have, I feel, a giant benefit when it comes to infrastructure and when it comes to factories and all that type of issues. However we’re pushing.
“I hope we’re catching up, however for positive, being a producer, the expectations might be slightly bit completely different subsequent 12 months.”
At 38, Hulkenberg is likely one of the extra skilled drivers within the sport and has raced for Williams, Drive India, Renault, Aston Martin and Haas in addition to Sauber, so is leaning on his personal data to assist push Audi ahead.
“I hope [experience] does [help],” he stated. “As a driver, clearly you are alleged to race arduous, to drive quick, to carry outcomes and efficiency, however you can too contribute in different methods. Clearly the technical aspect, when laws change, there’s lots of new issues to be taught, to get your head round. I hope I can contribute to a sooner studying subsequent 12 months.
“I feel it’s right down to a mix of issues. Clearly expertise helps, completely different laws, completely different automobiles – you simply have an even bigger wealth of data, how issues labored in numerous eras.
“However then it is a mix of what you are feeling, then clearly what the info measures, what the engineers see. It is only a work in progress continually, you drive, you alter issues, you check issues, you get outcomes, you get solutions and you retain going like this and construct the image and construct the data.”
Nevertheless 2026 shapes up, Hulkenberg admits there’s an actual sense of pleasure for him to have the ability to signify a serious German producer workforce in F1 at this stage of his profession.
“It is cool,” he stated. “It is positively a chance that I feel would not come round that always in a driver’s profession. It has clearly previously for different drivers, however for me, coming again in 2023 with Haas after which how issues advanced from there, it is a fairly loopy story to land that manufacturing facility drive with Audi – to be a part of it and to be nonetheless kicking round after 15 years within the business. So I’m simply very proud and blissful about that.”
