The German had become one of the key targets of Audi, which is preparing with its current partner Sauber for its official commitment to F1 as a factory team from 2026.
Autosport revealed earlier this week that Audi was eager to get its driver plans in place quickly, with a May deadline set for the drivers it was talking to.
Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz were on the list of priority targets, with the plan being for them to join the Sauber team next year before its rebranding to Audi for the following campaign.
And while it is understood Sainz is still weighing up other options – having been linked with potential seats at Red Bull and Mercedes – Hulkenberg is said to be committed to a future for Audi.
Although Audi has yet to officially confirm these plans, Hülkenberg’s current Haas team announced on Friday morning that the German would leave at the end of this campaign.
An announcement regarding his move to Sauber is expected soon.
Ayao Komatsu, team principal, said: “I would like to express my thanks to Nico for his contribution to the team. Since he’s been here with us. He has been a great team player and is someone we really enjoy working with.
“His experience and feedback has proven invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance – a fact that is clearly evident in his qualifying and race performances behind the wheel of the VF-24 this season.
“There are still plenty of races to go this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his contributions throughout the 2024 season.”
Hülkenberg’s departure opens a logical vacancy at Haas next year for Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, who impressed greatly in an appearance as a replacement for Sainz at this year’s Saudi Grand Prix and has been widely tipped to move to F1 in 2025.
It’s unclear who Hülkenberg’s Sauber teammate will be in 2025, and it looks increasingly unlikely that either of his current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, will stay.
Sainz is expected to remain a key target, but the Spaniard would still like to bide his time while the situation at other teams becomes clearer over the coming weeks.
The German had become one of the key targets of Audi, which is preparing with its current partner Sauber for its official commitment to F1 as a factory team from 2026.
Autosport revealed earlier this week that Audi was eager to get its driver plans in place quickly, with a May deadline set for the drivers it was talking to.
Hülkenberg and Carlos Sainz were on the list of priority targets, with the plan being for them to join the Sauber team next year before its rebranding to Audi for the following campaign.
And while it is understood Sainz is still weighing up other options – having been linked with potential seats at Red Bull and Mercedes – Hulkenberg is said to be committed to a future for Audi.
Although Audi has yet to officially confirm these plans, Hülkenberg’s current Haas team announced on Friday morning that the German would leave at the end of this campaign.
An announcement regarding his move to Sauber is expected soon.
Ayao Komatsu, team principal, said: “I would like to express my thanks to Nico for his contribution to the team. Since he’s been here with us. He has been a great team player and is someone we really enjoy working with.
“His experience and feedback has proven invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance – a fact that is clearly evident in his qualifying and race performances behind the wheel of the VF-24 this season.
“There are still plenty of races to go this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his contributions throughout the 2024 season.”
Hülkenberg’s departure opens a logical vacancy at Haas next year for Ferrari reserve Oliver Bearman, who impressed greatly in an appearance as a replacement for Sainz at this year’s Saudi Grand Prix and has been widely tipped to move to F1 in 2025.
It’s unclear who Hülkenberg’s Sauber teammate will be in 2025, and it looks increasingly unlikely that either of his current drivers, Valtteri Bottas and Guanyu Zhou, will stay.
Sainz is expected to remain a key target, but the Spaniard would still like to bide his time while the situation at other teams becomes clearer over the coming weeks.
