The F1 team represented by the Finn took a big risk by washing Nico Hülkenberg. The contract also contains the ingredients for winning the lottery, thinks Urheilu’s Joel Sippola.
Joel Sippola sports reporter
What was this for?
That was my first reaction when the F1 team Sauber had announced Nico Hülkenberg’s as the second driver of the associated team from 2025 onwards. The experienced German had been harnessed to the team throughout the beginning of the year, but I still couldn’t believe that the driver, who was about to turn 37, would be washed out and possibly Valtteri Bottas to the place.
Of course, Hülkenberg is a very experienced and reliable driver who drove in F1 for the first time already 14 years ago. Hülkenberg, who returned as a racing driver last season after a break of a few years, has left a better impression of himself in the Haas team than his five years younger Kevin Magnussen.
Sauber will change to Audi in 2026, and the German car giant will also provide engines for the F1 team. A few years ago, Germany was the leading F1 country, but now that power has crumbled. When there are no young promises in the country, Hülkenberg was the best available German option.
However, Hülkenberg contains the ingredients of a big risk for Audi, which is striving to be the top team of the future. He has absolutely no experience in the top teams.
Hülkenberg has driven more than 200 F1 races in the series, but has never reached the podium. That says something. The German’s career seemed to be over already in 2019, and in recent years it has been more or less in overtime.
It is hard to imagine that from these starting points it would be a driver who would lead Audi to the top team of the future.
However, Hülkenberg has something that no other driver in the series has. He has a distinctive story that Audi should take advantage of.
Hülkenberg is the driver who has driven the most races without a podium finish. Among the series’ most die-hard fans, he has become a kind of cult figure, even though the German’s personality is not distinctive at all.
With a questionable record, Hülkenberg attracts sympathy. Who wouldn’t wish well for a guy who has been trying to pursue his missing dream for years?
At times, the podium has been close. Only exceptional circumstances are needed for that. If by some miracle Hülkenberg were to reach the top three, it would have a huge PR value for Audi.
F1 lives on phenomena like that. With such a lottery win, the team would get excellent visibility and through that, for example, new valuable sponsorship contracts. It could propel Audi towards the status of a top team.
However, the scenario in question has a strong taste of over-optimism. From the point of view of the team’s credibility, it would be desirable for it to have Hülkenberg as a pair of horns, for example Carlos Sainz like a hot driver.