Nico Hulkenberg says the notion of Sauber will change when it turns into Audi subsequent season, and hopes to make use of his expertise to assist velocity up the staff’s improvement.
Sauber has been a midfield staff by means of nearly all of its System 1 historical past, and except for a sixth place in 2022, has not completed larger than eighth within the constructors’ championship since 2013. Subsequent yr it’ll grow to be the Audi works staff following a takeover by the German automotive model, and Hulkenberg says that may result in much more consideration even when the staff can not anticipate to make a step change.
“The notion will change, for certain,” Hulkenberg advised RACER. “I believe being a producer and being Audi in fact, there’s going to be much more eyes on us, much more expectations, however we must be lifelike.
“I do not anticipate that we’ll come and be profitable races from the get-go, we’re at first of a protracted journey. It is a course of and the highest groups nonetheless have, I believe, a giant benefit by way of infrastructure and by way of factories and all that form of issues. However we’re pushing.
“I hope we’re catching up, however for certain, being a producer, the expectations can be just a little bit completely different subsequent yr.”
At 38, Hulkenberg is among the extra skilled drivers within the sport and has raced for Williams, Drive India, Renault, Aston Martin and Haas in addition to Sauber, so is leaning on his personal information to assist push Audi ahead.
“I hope [experience] does [help],” he mentioned. “As a driver, clearly you are alleged to race laborious, to drive quick, to carry outcomes and efficiency, however you may also contribute in different methods. Clearly the technical facet, when rules change, there’s a variety of new issues to be taught, to get your head round. I hope I can contribute to a quicker studying subsequent yr.
“I believe it’s all the way down to a mix of issues. Clearly expertise helps, completely different rules, completely different vehicles – you simply have a much bigger wealth of information, how issues labored in several eras.
“However then it is a mix of what you’re feeling, then clearly what the info measures, what the engineers see. It is only a work in progress continually, you drive, you modify issues, you take a look at issues, you get outcomes, you get solutions and you retain going like this and construct the image and construct the information.”
Nevertheless 2026 shapes up, Hulkenberg admits there’s an actual sense of pleasure for him to have the ability to signify a serious German producer staff in F1 at this stage of his profession.
“It is cool,” he mentioned. “It is positively a chance that I believe does not come round that usually in a driver’s profession. It has clearly up to now for different drivers, however for me, coming again in 2023 with Haas after which how issues advanced from there, it is a fairly loopy story to land that manufacturing facility drive with Audi – to be a part of it and to be nonetheless kicking round after 15 years within the trade. So I’m simply very proud and completely satisfied about that.”
