Haas reacts to Hülkenberg’s departure for Audi in 2026
Following the announcement of Nico Hülkenberg's departure, Ayao Komatsu spoke out on the subject. The German driver will be leaving the American team at the end of the season, with his destination Hinwil, the Sauber team which now belongs to the Audi group.
Nico Hülkenberg has just signed to join the Sauber team for the 2025 season, in a minimum contract of 2 seasons. He is an experienced driver who has completed more than 16 full seasons in F1. He will become the first driver signed by Audi for the manufacturer’s entry into F1 in 2026, after their acquisition of the Sauber factory in Hinwil.
Hülkenberg (36 years old) returned to Formula 1 in 2023 with Haas F1 Team after a three-year absence from the sport. The German currently occupies 13th place in the drivers’ standings with three top 10 finishes in the first five rounds of the 24-race calendar.
Ayao Komatsu, team principal of the Haas F1 Team, commented: “I would like to thank Nico for his contribution to the team during his time with us. He has been an excellent teammate and someone we love working with. His experience and feedback have proven to be invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance. This is clearly evident in both his qualifying sessions and race performances in the VF-24 this season.”
« There are still many races left this year, so we are looking forward to continuing to benefit from his contributions throughout the rest of the 2024 season. » ends the statement.
The German driver has opened up a seat at Haas in an intense transfer market. It also remains to be seen who will join Hülkenberg at Sauber/Audi in the coming weeks, with several names on the list.
