Nico Hülkenberg is one of the most experienced drivers on the current Formula 1 grid, but his move to Audi represents, in many ways, his first true full factory programme. For the moment, however, the German veteran is not making bold statements and believes that his past endurance racing experience will not be particularly helpful in this new Formula 1 era, split evenly between internal combustion and electric power, simply because too much time has passed.
The biggest opportunity of his career has arrived at the age of 38, but Hülkenberg seems determined to make the most of it. After spending most of his career driving for teams that could be described as midfield or second-tier, the German veteran has finally become part of a full works structure like Audi, a manufacturer with which he also shares his nationality.
The project, built on the foundations of Sauber, is still in its early stages and has set itself a five-year timeframe to begin delivering significant results. “Hulk” may not have all that time available, but he hopes to be an integral and fundamental part of the journey that Audi’s top management believe can eventually take them to the top of Formula 1. And even if he finally achieved his long-awaited podium last season, dreaming of at least a first victory is more than understandable.
Is this the biggest project of your career?
“Yes, I won’t say anything more than that.”
Is it a bit of a dream to be part of Audi, which is German just like you?
“It’s definitely something very appealing and exciting. That’s why two years ago I decided to commit to this project, long before it became reality, because I sensed its potential and knew what it could become. So yes, seeing it now come to life and turn into reality is really nice.”
Three years ago you said this was almost an extension of your career…
“Well, so far I’d say it’s been quite successful. When I came back in 2023 with Haas, where I stayed for two years, and then obviously moved here, I think I exceeded my personal expectations and achieved several milestones. And I intend to continue doing so. I’m very happy with where I am, I’m happy and proud to be part of this project.
“We’re writing history by bringing Audi into Formula 1, but of course we want that history to be a successful one. And now it’s up to us. Time will tell. It’s just the beginning. It will be a tough mountain to climb and there will be many challenges to overcome, but we’re here to accept the challenge, face it and get the job done.”
You are one of only three drivers on the grid with experience of high-regeneration cars. It’s true you only raced a couple of times with the Porsche 919, but do you think that experience can help you with these new regulations?
“No, I don’t think so. This is now a completely new formula and what happened in 2015 with those cars, I don’t think there’s anything that can really be useful here. It’s a complete reshuffle, a blank sheet, a reset for all teams and all drivers.
“I think we’ll all have to relearn things and explore these cars, starting next week. We’ll have the opportunity to get our hands on them for the first time, and then it will all be a bit of work in progress.”
Can you tell us anything about the shakedown you did in Barcelona?
“I can’t say much because it was a filming day, there were no proper tyres and we weren’t pushing at all. So unfortunately, no. We have to wait.”
Based on your experience so far in the simulator and the few kilometres you’ve driven, is this the biggest change you’ve seen in terms of driving in F1?
“Well, we also have to see how the simulator works, because if you haven’t driven the car in reality, you don’t know what the true reference is. So you can’t really understand whether the correlation is good or not. That also needs to be checked.
“But yes, I mean, I’ve gone through several cycles of generational and regulatory changes in F1. Will this be the most different and extreme one? Potentially, yes. But let’s talk about it again next week.”
Audi has set a rather ambitious target for 2030. What do you personally need to do to help the team reach that goal?
“Give my maximum on track and off track, contribute as much as possible in every way I can. Obviously, we are a young team, especially on the power unit side. It’s the first time we are building an engine and a gearbox, and that comes with many challenges.
“Especially at the beginning, I think the learning curve will be steep, there will be many obstacles and challenges to overcome. And that’s also part of the driver’s job: identifying critical areas, trying to find shortcuts and solutions, and giving feedback. I’ll try to be as useful and valuable as possible.”
And what is your goal for 2026?
“Achieve good results, enjoy myself and grow. Progress in the right direction.”
Can you imagine yourself still racing in 2030?
“I wouldn’t say it’s impossible, but it’s not something I think about now. I don’t have a master plan like ‘I want to stop at a certain moment’. As long as I’m happy, as long as the stopwatch looks good and the employer is happy… as long as that’s the case, I’ll keep going.”
But is your ultimate ambition still to become world champion? Because if you stay with Audi and Audi’s goal is to fight for the title in 2030, is the ambition to win or to help the project?
“My ambition is both: to help the project, as I said, to be a valuable asset, but at the same time to make it as successful as possible—for my personal career, but also for the history of the team and of Audi.”
Do you think the best drivers of recent seasons, like Verstappen for example, will still be among the best this year, or could it be a completely crazy season?
“Well, usually the best drivers always manage to stand out. That’s why they are the best: because they adapt better or are better at certain things. But of course, it’s always linked to the competitiveness and quality of the package.
“I think especially at the beginning it could be much more mixed and much more volatile. Maybe even in terms of consistency and team performance from circuit to circuit, I can definitely imagine more ups and downs, especially in the first part of the season, when everyone is still trying to understand how things work and learning everything.”
Given your experience, does the team ask different things of you compared to Bortoleto?
“I don’t think so. But requests have to be made straight away, even if it’s still only theory. Before racing, you can talk as much as you like in theory, but the real music only starts when you go on track.”
The winter break was very short and this is usually the period when drivers work on their fitness. How different was this winter compared to others?
“Above all, it was shorter. Last year we were busy almost until Christmas. Then obviously Christmas and New Year were a break. So we tried to keep things stable, continue training consistently—not intensely, but just to stay on top of things.
“Now, obviously, we’ll be driving a bit more than usual in testing, which is positive, because that improves physical condition compared to the past.”
Do you think the winter break was a bit too short?
“I think overall, considering how different and new the cars are, it was to be expected. We’ve known for a long time that testing would take place at the end of January, so it was obvious there would be a domino effect and everything would be brought forward.
“For us drivers, I don’t think it’s a big problem. It’s obviously more difficult for the mechanics, engineers and many designers, because I think they might feel it towards the end of the year.”
Is there enthusiasm in Germany for a German driver with a German team?
“I think we still have to create that enthusiasm and give them something to be excited about. Hopefully we can do that.”
Would you like to race in Germany again? Would you be willing to personally help bring Formula 1 back there?
“It would be nice, no doubt. I don’t think it’s something imminent, but I understand there are some talks going on, although I don’t know anything specific.
“I don’t think it’s a political issue. Obviously there are some commercial factors that need to be agreed, and they just need to reach a deal. It’s not something I have any real influence over, so it’s not at the top of my priority list. But as I said, it would definitely be nice to have it back.”
For a long time your goal was obviously the podium. Is there something new now, like winning a race?
“Well, winning a race is a dream, of course. The podium has been achieved; winning a race is clearly a goal, a milestone, a dream.
“But it’s about maximising the opportunities and the potential of the car. It all depends on where we start and how competitive we are this year. We don’t know that yet. So yes, it would be a dream come true, but we need to be a bit patient and see where we are at the start of the season.”
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