Nico Hülkenberg To Compete With Stake F1 In 2025

Nico Hulkenberg of Germany and Haas F1 walks in the Pitlane during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand ... [+] Prix of Belgium at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps on July 28, 2023 in Spa, Belgium. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg is on the move. The 36-year-old racer announced he will join Stake F1 for the 2025 and 2026 seasons.

“I’m returning to the team I worked with back in 2013 and have fond memories of the strong team spirit in Switzerland,” Hulkenberg said in a statement. “The prospect of competing for Audi is something very special. When a German manufacturer enters Formula One with such determination, it is a unique opportunity. To represent the factory team of such a car brand with a power unit made in Germany is a great honour for me.”

Hulkenberg currently competes for Haas F1 Team, which he joined last year after a three-year hiatus from full-time Formula 1 competition. He has never scored a podium finish in 208 career starts.

However, he has helped elevate Haas’ program in 2024, earning a handful of points through five races and increasing the team's average finish to 11.2 from 14.5 last year.

In 2026, the team will become the official Audi organization in Formula 1 in a “takeover” of longtime F1 team Sauber.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here in Hinwil from 2025 and to compete with him in Formula One,” said Andreas Seidl, CEO of Sauber Motorsport AG and CEO of the upcoming Audi F1 factory team. With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team – and of Audi’s F1 project. Right from the start, there was great mutual interest in building something long-term together. Nico is a strong personality, and his input, on a professional and personal level, will help us to make progress both in the development of the car and in building up the team.”

Currently, Valterri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu compete for Stake F1, neither of whom have recorded a point through five races.

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.