Nico Hülkenberg: “F1 is cruel, there is no room for errors, there is a lot of pressure, but that is something I love”

The team Audi, in its first year in F1 After absorbing the Sauber team, it is one of the great positive notes of the 2026 season. There were many doubts about how this project would begin in the first year of new regulations, especially because they decided to enter F1 by making their own engine. A very complex challenge.

In fact, Mattia Binottowhen Audi made its official presentation in January, said that initially its objective was to compete and show that they could improve in the face of the adversities they encountered. What no one expected is that they were fighting in the middle zone, with a great chassis and an engine that has exceeded expectations.

He talked about all this Nico Hülkenberg, pilot of the four rings team, in a conversation with Mundo Deportivo made a few weeks ago, at the last Italian GP.

Last year I remember that I came here and also to Zandvoort, and many journalists told me that Audi was going to suffer a lot in 2026 for debuting in F1 with its own engine. And now…

Surprise! (he says raising and opening his hands)

How do you explain it?

Well, I think it’s because we have very good and very capable people in the factory, both in Hinwil (where they make the chassis) and in Neuburg, where the engine is developed. We have a solid management team, strong leaders and people with a lot of knowledge and experience.

And it’s Audi! It’s a great brand. In the end, when Audi does something, they make sure they do it right. We are still in an initial phase of the project. Of course, we still have room for improvement on the power unit side, but also on the car side. But we’re also pleased with how things have gone so far this year. We have had a very positive evolution since the beginning of the season and we want to maintain that trend.

You have seen this entire improvement process with Audi and the team. What has that process been like within the group? Because for example, I remember that just two years ago, Sauber’s pit stops were very bad. Audi arrived and the stops improved, all areas of the team improved.

Of course, a lot has happened since then. I think that, as a team, we have grown a lot. We have hired a lot of people. We simply have a larger staff.

But the quality of the people, the quality of the work that we contribute and do, has also greatly improved. We have taken a big step forward in these last two years. I think Sauber went through a difficult time over the last five years, also financially, to keep everything in optimal condition. Obviously, Audi came with much more financial capacity and, in general, with great ambition and very high goals. So I think we’re just seeing all of that becoming a reality.

Your goal is to win in 2030. Where in that process are you now as Audi?

Well, we’re still in the first year, right? We are still in a very initial phase of the entire project. Obviously, Audi has that roadmap and wants to compete at the front sooner rather than later. But it is a process. It’s about improving step by step.

Next season we want to take one more step towards the front. It’s not going to be easy and we have to show that we can do it. But we are challengers and we are here to test ourselves and, hopefully, to challenge many others as well. For me personally, it has been fantastic and a lot of fun to be a part of this process.

You have a lot of experience in Formula 1. How would you define Formula 1? Cruel or kind? How is?

Cruel, of course. Ruthless, cruel.

Because?

Because there is not much room to make mistakes. It is a high performance environment and there is often a lot of pressure. But that’s also one of the things I love about this industry and this business. Because you can make a difference in those moments when the pressure is very high and when things get difficult. But yes, the industry, the business, are cruel.

We are a great team though, and as a group, everyone is a lot of fun to work with. Pushing forward, doing it in the right direction and feeling and seeing those improvements come… That’s okay.

When you came to Formula 1, I remember some saying that you were the new Michael Schumacher. Now, with Kimi Antonelli, some say he is the new Ayrton Senna, Others compare Arvid Lindblad with Verstappen… That doesn’t help a driver, right? How do you manage such a comparison?

I don’t know, because it doesn’t affect me. That’s their thing. (laughs)

But I think there is always noise from the media and certain things are exaggerated. Look at what Kimi’s situation was like last year. It was completely different. He was in his first year and things got complicated. He managed to turn it around completely and right now he is the superhero. It seems like he walks on water. And the press makes those comparisons. I think it’s just noise.

We pilots don’t really get too carried away with it. We have our job to do, week after week. And that’s what we focus on.

Can you imagine continuing in Formula 1 until you are 45, like Fernando Alonso?

It is something very impressive. Keep doing very well. I don’t know, that’s the truth, the honest answer. I think it depends… The thing is that the stopwatch never lies in races. As long as the timer is still good, as long as I’m happy and motivated to do this job… Because it takes a lot of effort and a lot of energy to deliver those levels of performance and do all the things that need to be done.

As long as that remains the case, I will be happy to continue. But I don’t know when it will change. We’ll see. Time will tell.

Do you see Fernando in the same way as you did 20 years ago or 10 years ago?

Yes and no.

What are you talking about?

Of course, he’s still the same person, but ten years have passed and he’s matured. Things change in his personal life, also in his case, having recently become a father. But at the end of the day, he’s obviously still the same racing driver he was.

At the beginning of your Formula 1 career the cars were smaller, lighter and more aggressive. Would you like to go back to that Formula 1?

Hmm… I don’t know. I don’t know, to be honest (thinks). It’s not a resounding yes. You get used to any car. That’s the reality. You just adapt and get used to what you have. I think we also idealize them a little (the old cars). Whether the cars return to the dimensions they had when I started… I don’t know. I don’t see it happening. I don’t think it’s realistic. So there’s no point in dreaming about it.

How do you like an F1 to be? With oversteer or understeer? What do you prefer?

Slightly understeering. A stable rear axle and a slightly understeering car. Because that’s my preference. That’s how I like an F1 to be.

Which driver from your career has impressed you the most in Formula 1?

(Thinks for a few seconds) I probably have to say Max. Because he has done really special things. And not just when Red Bull had the best car or a dominant car. Even when he didn’t have the best car, he managed to put on incredible performances. He has also given extraordinary performances in mixed or rainy conditions. I think it is at an exceptional level.

When you came to Formula 1, the drivers were very different. Now they go together to play paddle tennis, they are on social networks… Are you surprised or did you expect it?

Don’t know. I think that at that time the pilots also did things together, but it was less public. Social media was just starting, so it was different. But I think there was also a certain social life among the pilots then. You were going to dinner with some colleagues. So it’s not completely different either.

But I think now maybe they’re just younger now. The average age is probably younger and a couple of generations have passed. So the world changes, things change. And I guess people change a little too.

In a previous interview I did with Max Verstappen and Fernando Alonso, I asked them to choose the best driver on the grid based on different elements. Fernando told me that you and Leclerc are the best overtaking on the current grid. What do you say about that?

Yes. I think I’m okay with that. I think I’m not bad at overtaking, of course (laughs).

Can I do the same test for you? For example, the best classifier?

Don’t know. (thinks)… I don’t know.

And better in defense, for example?

There are many good drivers defending. I think Lawson. Lawson is always very difficult to overtake, honestly.

Better in the race? In general in the race? Or perhaps the smartest?

Don’t know.

Well, I won’t continue with the questionnaire. We change the subject. To what extent is it important for you to be in a project like Audi? In a long-term project, with a great brand. How important is it to you?

Well, it’s important. It is something positive and good for my career to have arrived here from Haas. After 2019 I was out of Formula 1. Then I had my return with Haas in 2023-24. And then, having the opportunity to join a project like this, I think is something very positive, very good and exciting. It’s something that wasn’t guaranteed when I came back from my break from F1, it wasn’t at all clear that this was going to happen. So yes, it is something very special. It makes me feel very happy and proud.

When you’re out of Formula 1 and then you come back, does your mentality change?

Probably a little, but this is something I’m already used to. Because I’ve been doing this for between 15 and 16 years. And of course, the mentality and dynamics of a race weekend are different than when you are at home, in your private life. Obviously there is some difference, but I think I have a lot of experience and know the differences.

Are you expecting a new big surprise from Audi next year? A big improvement?

That is what we are trying to achieve and that is what we are working for: to take the next step. There are no guarantees, just hard work and dedication.