Nico Hulkenberg

Nico Hülkenberg was born on August 19, 1987, in Emmerich am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. He is one of the most experienced and respected drivers on the F1 grid, with a career spanning over a decade and more than 200 race starts. Hülkenberg's talent was evident from his junior career — he won the Formula BMW ADAC Championship, the A1 Grand Prix (driving for Team Germany), and the GP2 Series championship in 2009.

Hülkenberg's F1 debut came with Williams in 2010, and he immediately announced himself with a sensational pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix — the final race of the season — in treacherous wet conditions. It was a qualifying lap that announced a major talent, particularly in the rain.

His career took him through several teams: Williams (2010), Force India (2012-2014, 2017-2018), Sauber (2013), and Renault (2017-2019). At each stop, Hülkenberg consistently outperformed his machinery and was regularly regarded as one of the best midfield drivers on the grid. His ability to extract the maximum from whatever car he was given earned him huge respect within the paddock.

Despite his undeniable talent, Hülkenberg became associated with an unwanted record: the most race starts without a podium finish in F1 history. This statistic belies his ability — he came agonisingly close on several occasions but was never quite in machinery capable of consistently challenging for top-three finishes.

During his time away from a full-time F1 seat, Hülkenberg demonstrated his versatility by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche in 2015, proving he was a world-class racing driver across disciplines. He also served as a substitute driver during the COVID-era, memorably replacing Racing Point drivers at short notice and delivering impressive performances.

Hülkenberg returned to a full-time F1 seat with Haas in 2023, and his experience and development skills made him the natural choice to lead Audi's Formula 1 project as the German manufacturer transitions from the Sauber team. His technical knowledge, vast experience, and ability to develop a car from the ground up make him the ideal driver to guide Audi into their new era of F1 competition.