Why Nico Hülkenberg is joining Sauber, and what it means for the rest of the F1 grid

The latest domino in the Formula 1 driver transfer market has fallen.

A long-anticipated move has come to fruition, as Nico Hülkenberg will depart Haas at the end of the current season to drive for Sauber next year. The reason for the anticipation? 2025 is the final year for Sauber, before the team becomes the Audi works team for the 2026 campaign. This move confirms that the German outlet will have a German driver in the fold when they begin the 2026 season.

In a post on social media, the driver stated that he was “thrilled and honoured” to make the move:

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here in Hinwil from 2025 and to compete with him in Formula 1,” said Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG. Seidel will become the CEO of the future Audi F1 team. “With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team – and of Audi’s F1 project.

“Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in building something long-term together. Nico is a strong personality, and his input, on a professional and personal level, will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

It is a dual homecoming of sorts for Hülkenberg, who drove for Sauber back in 2013, but gets to be part of a German team starting in 2026.

“I’m returning to the team I worked with back in 2013 and have fond memories of the strong team spirit in Switzerland,” outlined Hülkenberg.

“The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity. To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honour for me.”

But what might this mean for the rest of the grid?

Sauber currently has Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas in the fold, but both drivers are set to see their contracts expire at the end of the 2024 campaign. The rest of the current season could be an audition of sorts, with the two drivers fighting for the other spot with the team. However, at this point it is likely that Sauber and Audi know what they have in both drivers, and could have their eyes on another driver.

Carlos Sainz Jr.

With the news that Lewis Hamilton was leaving Mercedes for Ferrari next season to drive alongside Charles Leclerc, Sainz became one of the more intriguing free agents in the driver transfer market. All he has done since then is perform at a high level, notching a win in the Australian Grand Prix and scoring podium finishes in both Bahrain and Japan.

When the Hamilton news was announced, many believed that Sauber — and eventually Audi — would be the destination for Sainz. There is a built-in relationship between the driver and Audi, given the fact that his father drives for Audi in rally racing and became the oldest winner of the Dakar Rally earlier this year.

To that point Dr. Helmut Marko, addressing rumors that Sainz’s early-season form had made him a contender for a return to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen, let slip that Audi had made a formidable offer for the driver’s services. Confirming to Austrian outlet Kleine Zeitung newspaper that Sainz was of interest, Marko then said this: “We’re talking to him, he’s having his strongest season in Formula One,” the Austrian said. “But he has a very lucrative offer from Audi that we can’t match or beat.”

And where might this move leave Haas?

With Hülkenberg off to Sauber, that leaves Kevin Magnussen as their sole driver, who is also set to see his contract expire at the end of the 2024 season. Assuming for the sake of discussion that the team retains Magnussen for 2025, who might his next teammate be?

A name to watch there is Ollie Bearman. The 18-year-old Ferrari reserve stunned in his F1 debut this season, taking over for Sainz at Ferrari when an appendectomy sidelined him at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. With just one hour of practice time in the SF-24 ahead of qualifying, Bearman advanced to Q2 and narrowly missed out on a spot in Q3.

Then in the race he finished in P7, holding off Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton in the closing laps for a stunning debut.

That impressive performance led many to believe Bearman had earned a full-time spot on the grid, and while the presence of Hamilton and Leclerc precludes a spot at Ferrari next season, but Haas now has a spot available. Bearman is set to participate in future practice sessions for Haas — including at Imola next month — and is a reserve driver for the team in addition to his duties with Ferrari.

Hamilton’s shocking decision sent shockwaves through the sport, and through the driver transfer market. But Hülkenberg’s impending move to Sauber for next season has generated some waves of its own, and may result in a young phenom securing a full-time spot on the grid for 2025.