Nico Hulkenberg leaves Haas for Audi, freeing up a seat for Oliver Bearman. The German departs from the American team after two seasons, with his seventh-place finish in Australia in 2023 being his best result. The signing with Stake / Audi for 2025 and beyond is a done deal, with a multi-year contract. This officially opens up a Formula 1 seat for Ferrari protege, Oliver Bearman.
Another piece moves in the driver market. Nico Hulkenberg leaves Haas at the end of the current season, with a contract awaiting him at Audi. The Ingolstadt team, set to enter the Circus from 2026, secures the first of its two main objectives. The situation regarding Sainz for the Four Rings remains unresolved, while interesting scenarios open up at Haas.
“I would like to thank Nico for his contribution to the team during his time with us,” says Ayao Komatsu, Haas team principal, in the statement released by the team. “He has been a great teammate and someone we have enjoyed working with a lot. His experience and feedback have proved invaluable to us in terms of improving our performance, as is clearly evident in his qualifying and race performances with the VF-24 this season.”
“There are still many races to be run this year, so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his contributions for the remainder of the 2024 season,” concludes the statement. There is anticipation for any further moves by Haas. In recent months, there has been much talk of Oliver Bearman, a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and almost certainly destined for the big leap from Formula 2.
The young Englishman, who has already made his Formula 1 debut with Ferrari this year, seems the most natural candidate for the seat left vacant by Nico Hulkenberg. Also intriguing are potential developments at Audi: Ingolstadt wants to quickly close the deal with Carlos Sainz, but the Spaniard would prefer to wait for a top team. If Sainz’s option falls through, the name of Esteban Ocon could gain strength.
Source: f1ingenerale
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