Nico Hulkenberg Has Been Named Audi's First Formula 1 Driver, Will Drive For Sauber in '25

Another piece of the 2025 driver market puzzle has fallen into place with news that Nico Hulkenberg is bidding auf wiedersehen to Haas after two seasons and will join Sauber in 2025 on a multi-year deal ahead of the team's transition to an Audi works team in 2025.

There were rumblings that this would happen and sure enough, it was confirmed on Friday that Hulkenberg will be the first driver on the Audi books, and will have a hand in car development.

"I am thrilled and honored to return to Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber in 2025 and to represent the global German car manufacturer and technology pioneer AUDI on its way into Formula 1 in the future," Hulkenberg said on social media. "It‘s a big project with high ambitions and a huge challenge, a challenge that I am very much looking forward to."

This is a heck of a choice to fill one of the two seats at Sauber next season and Audi beyond. He has had some stellar drives in his last year and changes with Haas after several years off aside from a couple of super sub drives. Of course, it probably didn't hurt that he's a German driver and it would stand to reason that Audi would like at least one German on the team.

Hulkenberg has the dubious distinction of having taken part in more Grand Prix — over 200 — without achieving a podium than any other driver in Formula 1 history. Judging by what we've seen from Sauber this season, I wouldn't anticipate that streak ending next season (although you never know), but come 2026 when they plunk an Audi-built power unit in the back of their car, anything is possible.

Now, what will be interesting is what this means for the rest of the driver market.

Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, or even both could wind up needing a new team in 2025. (Photo by Bryn Lennon - Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)

What Does This Mean For Sauber's Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas?

Obviously, with this news, either Valtteri Bottas or Zhou Guanyu is out of a job for next season, and there's a pretty strong possibility that they'll both need new homes if they want to stay in F1.

Carlos Sainz is still floating around, and he's been talked about as a possible Audi driver. In fact, his dad, rally driver Carlos Sainz Sr. has driven for Audi himself. A Hulkenberg/Sainz lineup would be a solid one, and if it sounds familiar, it should. That was Renault's lineup in 2018.

That would leave Zhou and Bottas as the odd men out, which is a shame. Both are solid drivers who have been stuck with an underwhelming car, although it did show some pace (and perhaps more importantly, the team started to figure out pitstops) in China.

I'd like to see Zhou slot in somewhere. Maybe Haas, In Hulkenerg's old seat, but that seems destined for Ollie Bearman.

As for Bottas, if he finds himself in need of a new seat, I can't believe he never really comes up as a potential option for Red Bull. He has the experience with the pressure of driving alongside a multi-time champion and has proven he can squeeze a lot out of even a sub-par car. However, Sergio Perez has stepped it up this season.

That's what's funny about the F1 driver market: when a question gets answered a bunch of other ones pop up.