Nico Hulkenberg signed as first driver for Audi F1 team.

When Audi enters Formula One in 2026 with its own team and power unit, veteran Nico Hulkenberg will be the Audi driver.

The German racing driver is currently with Haas, but will move to Sauber next season, which will become Audi's factory team for the 2026 season. In March, Audi announced plans to acquire 100% of the Swiss team.

Audi is still looking for a second driver, and current Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz is rumored to be one of Audi team boss Andreas Seidl's favorites. Sainz will be replaced at Ferrari next season by Mercedes-Benz AMG's Lewis Hamilton.

Sauber's current drivers are Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guangyu, neither of whom is considered an option for the Audi team.

Replacements for Hulkenberg and Hamilton have yet to be announced.

Audi has established a new company, Audi Formula Racing, in Germany to oversee its F1 program. The presence of an experienced driver like Hulkenberg will be essential to the launch of the new team.

Hulkenberg entered Formula One with Williams in 2010. A year later he moved to Force India, driving for Sauber for a year in 2013 before returning to Force India. He was a reserve driver from 2020, when the team became Racing Point and later Aston Martin, and signed with his current team Haas in 2023. He also drove for Porsche in the 2015 World Endurance Championship, winning the 2024 24 Hours of Le Mans overall under Seidl.

Although he did not win an F1 race, Hulkenberg has consistently delivered results as the top driver for backmarker teams. He has scored points in three of the first five races of the season.