With it very much looking like Belgian born Dutchman, Max Verstappen, will again gallop away with the 2023 season F1 Grand Prix winning crown, and extremely likely that fellow Red Bull team mate, Sergio Perez, will take the runners up slot given their current advantage over the other drivers and race teams, Audi will be looking on fondly and waiting for their eventual crack at competing.
The German manufacturers plans continue at pace as they prepare to join the sport, in conjunction with Swiss outfit Sauber where they will provide the race engine, from the 2026 season onwards, and as part of those plans, discussions about potential team drivers are coming to the fore, and it seems that Niko Hulkenberg would be interested in finding out if a deal could be made and putting is feet on some Audi car mats.
The 36 year old German national returned to Formula 1 on a full time basis this year having earned a contract with Haas-Ferrari, and he has put in plenty of impressive performances so far on the track and currently finds himself in 14th place in the standings, which has been enough to earn himself another 12 months on their books covering the 2024 season.
Given the German connection, Hulkenberg is an obvious go to for the press when it comes to speculation, but having recently been asked the question, he is very open to the possibility - if the deal is right.
Speaking to F1's Beyond The Grid podcast, he explained.
“It’s definitely one of the very attractive projects right now. A new brand coming into Formula 1, very exciting, a German manufacturer as well, people that I’ve worked with and done really well before. Yeah, it all sounds really nice and good on paper. Obviously I need to put in the good work, keep driving convincing drives, to maybe have a shot there. But only time will tell.”
At 36, Hulkenberg is currently the third oldest driver on the track, and if any deal was to emerge with Audi as they enter the sport, he would obviously be 38 at that point, but he looks to the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso as proving that age in absolutely no bar to performing on the race track.
“Right now I can see myself also racing for another couple of years. I don’t have the crystal balls, I don’t have all the answers. Obviously, as long as I enjoy it, and have the feeling that I have right now, I can imagine to continue as long as I get a job, as long as I can get a contract, you know? We’re in a performance business and if my performance wouldn’t be good enough anymore, I would soon run out of a job. But let’s see how things go."
Adding.
“Obviously with age certain things maybe become not as good, not as dynamic, reflexes or whatever – but I think then you have the cases of Fernando and Lewis who demonstrate it’s still very doable and very possible. Every human is different, but I think it’s a matter of if you feel the passion still, if you feel desire and if you’re happy and ready to put in the work and you have the talent, then you can go a long, long time in F1.”
It remains to be seen what the future holds, but at this point it does feel probable that Audi would be interested.
