An excellent performance from the German driver brought his Sauber career to a close with a strong recovery drive. Starting from a distant 18th on the grid, Nico Hülkenberg climbed his way up to ninth place in the final Grand Prix of the team’s history, held at the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.
The farewell to Formula 1
The 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will be remembered above all for Lando Norris securing his first Formula 1 World Championship title with McLaren. However, the race also marked the end of several important chapters within the sport. One of the most significant was the final appearance of the Sauber team, which contested its last race before transitioning to full Audi ownership. As already known, Audi will officially enter Formula 1 in 2026, introducing its own power units and taking over the structure entirely.
Hülkenberg’s joy
Founded in 1993 by Peter Sauber, the Swiss team remained a constant presence on the F1 grid, including its BMW and Alfa Romeo eras. Throughout its long history, the team collected one victory—the 2008 Canadian Grand Prix with Robert Kubica—along with 27 podium finishes. The most recent came earlier this season with Nico Hülkenberg himself, who claimed a surprise third place at Silverstone. That result also allowed the German to set a unique record: the highest number of Grand Prix starts (239) before achieving a career podium.
Looking ahead to 2026, the 38-year-old driver leaves Abu Dhabi with another positive milestone. His ninth-place finish allowed him to end the season tied for eleventh in the standings with Isack Hadjar. Speaking after the race, Hülkenberg said: “Scoring two points after a disappointing Saturday and starting from 18th is definitely something I am very, very satisfied with. It’s not easy to climb the field here, especially when everyone has more or less the same race pace. So overall, I’m really happy with ninth place: it’s a great way to finish the last race of the season. It’s also a great way to say goodbye to Sauber. Peter has such a long-standing tradition, he has been in this business for so long, and I have huge respect for what he has achieved.”
He continued by reflecting on the season as a whole: “I think it was definitely a good year. A lot of positive things happened. We grew, we evolved as a team, and we delivered some really strong moments. The podium was fantastic; I finally got that weight off my shoulders, and I was very happy about it. Barcelona, Budapest, Monza, Austin: many really positive weekends, and obviously also some where we didn’t maximize everything, but that’s the challenge of a long season. All in all, I think we can be relatively satisfied. Now we will process the season, enjoy the break, and then look forward to the new chapter ahead.”
A special year
Team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, on the other hand, was less satisfied with his race. The 2024 Formula 2 champion crossed the line in eleventh place, just outside the points, and did not hide his frustration: “I won’t lie: it’s a bit disappointing to finish just outside the points. Unfortunately, we struggled to recover from the very first lap, and I don’t think we maximized our race the way we should have. It’s a pity, because in qualifying the car felt fantastic, and I really believed we could score points today.”
Reflecting on his rookie campaign, the Brazilian added: “Looking back on my first Formula 1 season, it’s been a special year for me, with several good results and strong qualifying sessions, so there is definitely a lot to be proud of. I wouldn’t have made it without the support of the team. It was a positive and valuable year. The season is now behind us, and I can’t wait to start working on our future. I’m looking forward to preparing for next year and hopefully fighting for more ambitious results.”
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