Nico Hulkenberg pinpoints the ‘key’ factor in Carlos Sainz rejecting Audi for Williams

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Nico Hulkenberg is still anticipating who will be his teammate at Sauber next season and later Audi in 2026.

The German confirmed his move to the Swiss team earlier in the year. Hulkenberg had been with the team in 2013 following his exit from Force India, where he finished 10th in the standings.

Sauber are enduring a torrid 2024 season thus far, with them being still the only team not to score a point this year.

Drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu are without a drive for next year and with Hulkenberg signed, their future with the team is in serious doubt.

Audi is weighing up its options for Hulkenberg’s teammate, with only a handful of drivers looking for a seat. Bottas is apparently in ‘pole position’ to secure the remaining Sauber drive, while Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan – who has now joined Alpine – were also in the running.

Nico Hulkenberg believes there were ‘strategic reasons’ behind Carlos Sainz’s decision

Speaking at the drivers’ press conference ahead of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, Hulkenberg gave his thoughts on why another driver snubbed the project at Audi for a move elsewhere.

Carlos Sainz has been the talk of the paddock since it was announced that he would leave Ferrari in the wake of Lewis Hamilton’s sensational move to Maranello.

Speculation was rife as to who the Spaniard would sign with for 2025, and Sainz had been heavily linked to partner Hulkenberg at Audi.

Eventually, Sainz rejected Audi’s proposal in favour of joining Williams on a multi-year deal alongside Alex Albon, and Hulkenberg believes there were ‘strategic reasons’ behind the Spaniard’s decision.

“I’m not surprised,” he said.

“Obviously, he’s been thinking about it for a long time and I think there are other strategic reasons for where he wants to position himself in the future. I think that’s played a key role in his decision.

“Obviously, I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about Carlos’ decision, it is what it is and the rest, we’ll see.”

Will Audi be competitive in Formula 1?

As Audi will not join the sport until the new regulations come into effect in 2026, Hulkenberg and his yet-to-be-confirmed teammate will have to more than likely struggle at the back with Sauber next year.

There is no indication that the German manufacturer will be competitive, however. Audi is bringing its own power unit with the brand in 2026 and it is not clear yet whether it will prove successful.

Although, the Audi/Sauber project is an exciting one, with several strong recruits off the track. Jonathan Wheatley will leave Red Bull to become Audi’s new team principal, and former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto has returned to the sport as the team’s COO and CTO.

While the immediate future looks bleak given Sauber’s run of form, the team’s future is looking promising under the Audi name.