Nico Hulkenberg not at Sauber to be a mentor to Bortoleto: “I want to do well for myself”. Nico Hulkenberg has very clear ideas ahead of his debut with the future Audi team.

The last big opportunity
The 2025 Formula 1 season will be Nico Hulkenberg’s 12th as a full-time driver in Formula 1. The German veteran – who still holds the unenviable record of having raced the most Grand Prix in the Circus without ever stepping onto the podium – is back with Sauber, the team that previously welcomed him for just one season 12 years ago, in 2013. The allure of this adventure for the Emmerich-born driver lies, however, in what will happen in 2026, when the Swiss team transforms into Audi’s factory team.

There are many uncertainties regarding the performance level the German giant will have on track, but there is no doubt that for the 37-year-old driver, formerly with Force India, Renault, and Haas, this will be his last career opportunity to find himself in a competitive team fighting for the top positions on the grid. For this reason, NicoHulkenberg has no intention of being seen as a ‘mentor’ to the young Brazilian talent Gabriel Bortoleto, who will debut in F1 this year at the wheel of the other Sauber.

Rival, not mentor
“I don’t think that when you’re in a team, you’re really a mentor to your teammate, even if you’re the oldest and most experienced of the two,” the German stated in a chat with the Motorsport Week website, which recently published an interview with Nico Hulkenberg at the end of last season.

“At the end of the day, it’s still a competition – even if you’re in the same team and racing for the team,” he continued, referring to the #27. “I want to do a good job for Sauber, but also for myself and my career. So, I look forward to working there and facing the challenge.”