Nico Hülkenberg, the great survivor of the 2025 season
Last representative of his generation on the 2025 grid, Nico Hülkenberg talks about his exceptional longevity in F1 and his new challenge with Sauber, future Audi team.
Nico Hülkenberg detailed how he managed to avoid the elimination of drivers from his generation for the 2025 F1 championship.
Sergio Pérez, Daniel Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas, who made their F1 debut in the early 2010s, are no longer on the starting grid in 2025. However, Bottas has rejoined Mercedes as a reserve driver. Hülkenberg is now the most experienced driver on the grid, after Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton. He has signed a long-term contract with the Sauber team, which is preparing to become Audi in 2026. Reflecting on his career, Hülkenberg explained how the dynamics of F1 offered him the opportunity to withstand the elimination that affected some drivers.
« Everything depends on the dynamics of Formula 1, your position in the team, and your level of competitiveness »,” said Hülkenberg. « Ultimately, it’s about delivering results, creating value for the team, and I think the return [with Haas] in 2023, and then last year, was very positive and successful. It gave me this new opportunity and a contract with Sauber, and then next year with Audi. I’m having a great time, I’m probably having more fun than ever before in Formula 1, even more than during my first stint. I feel it, I love it, I live it. »
A promising path before Formula 1
Hülkenberg had an impressive junior career, winning numerous titles: he won the Italian Junior Karting Championship in 2001 and 2002, then the German Karting Championship in 2003. He triumphed in the German Formula BMW in 2005, before winning the Formula 3 Championship in 2008 and the GP2 Championship in 2009.
After his promising debut, Hülkenberg continued his Formula 1 career with various roles and teams. Regarding his start in Formula 1, he joined the Williams team in 2010, where he achieved a notable pole position in Brazil. In 2011, he became a test driver for Force India before securing a main seat the following year. He then joined Sauber in 2013, and returned to Force India from 2014 to 2016. From 2017 to 2019, he was a driver for Renault. In 2020, he served as a replacement driver for Racing Point, a role he resumed in 2022 with Aston Martin. He became a main driver for Haas for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, before rejoining Sauber in 2025.
Despite his abilities, Hülkenberg holds the unenviable record for the most Grand Prix races contested without a podium finish (230 starts). However, he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 in his first participation, demonstrating his versatility.
For the 2025 season, Hülkenberg joins Sauber, the team that will become the Audi works team in 2026. This opportunity could finally offer him the chance to step onto his first F1 podium, and potentially more.
