Nico Hulkenberg hints at ‘strategic reasons’ behind Carlos Sainz’s Audi F1 snub

Nico Hulkenberg suggested the long-term future was a key factor in Carlos Sainz’s decision-making as the German spoke publicly for the first time since Sainz’s move to Williams was confirmed.

Having driven together in 2017 and 2018 at Renault, it looked possible that Hulkenberg and Sainz could be reunited at Sauber next season with the latter mulling over his post-Ferrari career. However, that idea ultimately came to nothing with Sainz opting a move to Williams over Hulkenberg’s next destination in Switzerland.

Nico Hulkenberg gives thoughts on Carlos Sainz’s Audi snub

Sainz’s future has been one of the major talking points within the F1 paddock since Lewis Hamilton’s shock move to Ferrari was confirmed ahead of the F1 2024 season. But after months of speculation, Sainz’s future was settled the day after the most recent race in Belgium with the Spaniard snubbing Audi who had courted him for a long time.

Hulkenberg, though, was not taken aback as Sainz opted for Grove and suggested that at 29 years of age, the future was clearly a big factor in Sainz’s decision.

“Not surprised,” he told media including PlanetF1.com in Zandvoort of Sainz’s decision. “Obviously he was hesitating and thinking about it for a long time.

“I think there’s other, you know, strategic reasons where he wants to position himself in the future and I think that was a very big part of his decision.

“So obviously I haven’t spent much time thinking about his decision. It is what it is now, and the rest will see.”

It is not clear whether Sainz has a clause permitting him to leave should a bigger team come calling but both driver and Williams team were keen to state he had signed for the “foreseeable future”.

As for Hulkenberg, he stated he was not putting any thought into next year as he looks to finish a so-far stellar year with Haas.

The next challenge for the German, who recently turned 37, is Zandvoort, a circuit he surprisingly only drove for the first time last year as an F1 driver.

“It’s obviously a small circuit for current Formula 1 cars, with the big dimensions,” he said of the Circuit Zandvoort. “But it’s the roller coaster feeling. Lot of up and downs, undulations, the bankings.

“It’s a circuit I enjoy and I have a lot of memories from my past, from junior times. So good, good memories, good feeling, and a good connection with Holland, the country in general, because this is pretty much the country where I started my motorsport career.”

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Hulkenberg will be hoping to bounce back in the Netherlands having ended the first portion of the year out of the points.

“The last two before the summer break, we’ve just not been competitive enough,” he said. “I think Hungary, the hot temperatures on Sunday caused us some problems, and in general, I think a lack of downforce.

“It just didn’t suit the car. We didn’t find a good window of performance, and it was just a struggle throughout.

“So that was difficult. Going forward now, this weekend [I] don’t really want to predict much more because this year, often we thought we were heading to a circuit and we thought this should be suitable for us, and it was the exact opposite, and vice versa.

“We need to just do some laps here and see how the package delivers and feels.”

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