This is perhaps the starting point for an eventful spring in Formula 1 on the transfer window side. Nico Hülkenberg will leave Haas at the end of the season to join Sauber. The 36-year-old German driver has signed a multi-year contract with his new team which will become Audi in 2026, a highly sought-after seat.
Above all, it is a domino effect which risks being triggered in the paddock. Although the rumors were rife and concerned almost all the drivers, no movement had been made official since the start of the season and the departure of Lewis Hamilton for Ferrari. Mercedes has decided to take its time before signing its next driver, and Fernando Alonso, for his part, did not have an earthquake by extending his contract with Aston Martin.
11 drivers still without contract for 2025
On the other hand, this small movement of Hülkenberg from Haas to Sauber could really shake things up. Already, it inevitably pushes out one of the two current drivers of the team Valtteri Bottas or Guanyu Zhou, who will have to hurry to find another place in the grid. Haas, for its part, which has alternated between young people with no experience and veterans like the Magnussen-Hülkenberg tandem this year, will have to find a replacement. Oliver Bearman, interim for Carlos Sainz at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and Ferrari driver, is expected.
But the German, a former Renault driver and record holder for the number of GPs contested without the slightest podium (more than 200), above all takes one of the two seats available at Audi, announced in F1 for 2026. “The prospect of competing for Audi is somewhat something very special. When a German manufacturer launches into Formula 1 with such determination, it is a unique opportunity,” recalls the main interested party. Rumors are sending Carlos Sainz, from Ferrari, to his side to install Hamilton alongside Leclerc. His decision is expected, according to several foreign media, by mid-May.
This would therefore block quite a few outcomes, particularly for the two Frenchmen Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, at the end of their contract with Alpine, or even for Alexander Albon, who will have to look elsewhere… But without too much delay. 11 drivers are still at the end of their contracts between now and the end of the season, and are looking for that rare gem.