36-year-old Nico Hülkenberg recently signed a new contract with Stake F1 Team, leaving Haas after two years to collaborate with Sauber and the future Audi project. His departure has left a bitter taste at Haas, with the German admitting that team boss Ayao Komatsu fought hard to retain him.
Hülkenberg maintains a good relationship with Ayao Komatsu. The Japanese engineer was promoted to team boss earlier this year after Haas parted ways with the eccentric Günther Steiner. “He’s doing very well,” Hülkenberg said ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP. “He was thrown in at the deep end. It came out of nowhere.”
“I’ve always been able to work well with him,” the German driver continued. “We were able to openly discuss my future, and he knew that sooner or later I would make a decision. He really fought for me, but for me, this decision was a no-brainer. Haas made my comeback possible, but I see a better future with Audi.”
Finishing the Season Strong
Hülkenberg is now focused on the remainder of 2024. “Both the team and I benefit from finishing the season as well as possible,” he explained. “We want to beat the other midfield teams. Given the current situation, that’s not an unrealistic goal.” Haas finished at the bottom of the championship in 2023 with only 12 points. This season, they are in a respectable seventh place with 7 points already.
With Hülkenberg’s departure, Haas is now looking for a possible replacement. Oliver Bearman is being touted as one of the favorites to make his debut with the Americans. The Formula 2 driver from PREMA will be participating in a free training session for the team this weekend.
