Nico Hülkenberg has been confirmed as one of the two team drivers for the Sauber F1 Team in 2013. The 25-year-old German won the GP2 Series in 2009, made his Formula 1 debut in 2010 with the WilliamsF1 Team and then moved on to Force India where he spent a year as a test driver before stepping into a race seat this season. It is interesting that he was able to leave as most Force India contracts have been a year testing and then two years of racing.
“We’ve been observing Nico for some time now and his performances have been very persuasive,” said Monisha Kaltenborn. “That was the case in GP2 and has continued into Formula 1. An obvious highlight was how he scored pole at Interlagos in 2010 despite the most challenging external conditions. He clearly showed that he can seize the chance if it arises. But high spots like that are one thing; systematic teamwork is another – and on that score I have confidence in Nico too. I’m sure he will fit in very well with the Sauber F1 Team. We look forward to working together with him.”
The team says that it will announce the second driver later.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the Sauber F1 Team,” said Nico. “It’s a well-placed team and very competitive. Plus it’s a team in which young drivers have repeatedly delivered exceptional performances. I would like to take up that baton. The Sauber F1 Team is currently going through a very positive development and I’m certain that together we can achieve a lot.”
The the moment the Sauber and Force India drivers are 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th in the World Championship, with Sergio Perez ahead with 66 points, followed by Kamui Kobayashi with 50, Hulkenberg with 49 and Paul di Resta with 44, which means that it is only a limited step forward for the German.
In a way this is a surprise but in another it is not. Hulkenberg has shown that he wants to be competitive in a competitive team.
With Perez moving to McLaren, and given Sauber’s performance this season, they are the perfect team to move on to.
With the financial issues and uncertainty at FI I wouldn’t be surprised if both drivers find new homes in 2013.
It’ll be interesting however as to who his team-mate will be…
Joe, have you heard anything about whether this is a possible stepping stone to Ferrari (or indeed Red Bull?) in 2014?
Who do you fancy for the Force India drive? Jules Bianchi seems to have a spring in his step at the moment – does he know something we don’t?
Normally Force India testing contracts turn into race drives. The key question is whether there is a budget to go on as things have been going.
Is it likely that Force India let Hulkenberg go to get him off their payroll and to replace him with someone bringing money? I remember them declaring that they could terminate contract with any of their drivers if compensation is offered, and I hardly believe Sauber would give them any.
There are lots of ways out of contracts
My guess – the uncertainty around the teams funding/future allowed Hulkenberg to end the contract.
PDR probably had/has a similar clause, but his avenues dried up when the Hamilton/Perez/Massa shuffle resolved itself.
So, is this a step towards a future with Ferrari for Hulkenberg then? Or rather a step towards a stable team from a team that might be in trouble in the next few years.
Do you think Jules Bianchi has a Force India contract that’s “a year testing and then two years of racing”?
Probably
A step from a banana peel and onto a rock – Sauber isn’t going anywhere. If he was my driver to manage I’d want him in a solid team.
I’m sure they be delighted to hear that. On what basis do you conclude these things?
I would hate to see if Hulkenberg is swooped by Ferrari in 2014 and Sauber is left in lurch (again).
It’s time team like Sauber/Williams lure front running race winner drivers, if they are serious about challenging front running teams. All that hiring young promising talent does is, if these drivers perform well they are picked up by the front runners and Sauber, Williams a left in the midfield as a talent feeder team. Sauber lost Kimi, and Perez to McLaren, with Massa they at least were compensated by Ferrari. So its high time Sauber start taking themselves seriously. Keep Hulkenberg, Kobayashi pair for 2-3 years and grow with them to become serious front running team.
And how would you pay for this. Selling young talent is part of the income for some teams. IF Botas is very very good he will be sold and Williams will move on.
Ron payed a fotune for Kimi too.
They cant keep Kobayashi, their main sponsors are Mexicans (CLARO, TELMEX, NEC, Interprotection, Visit Mexico, Tequila Cuervo), and they want to keep them so logic suggest that sauber will have another mexican driver, which in fact is today their third driver Esteban Gutierrez
‘Rats’ (no disrespect intended to NH) leaving the sinking ship that could be Force India under its current ownership? As you allude to Joe an odd move for him to not really move further up the grid…
Hi Joe,
Could this be a “evaluation” for Ferrari as they have done before with Massa?
It could also be that Sauber likes the look of him and is an independent racing team
Maybe only a limited step forward based on WDC performance, but perhaps a giant leap in terms of team stability?
Joe, do you think there’s any truth in the suggestion that Ferrari are supporting (not financially) Hulkenberg at Sauber in 2013 with a view to evaluating him as a potential Ferrari driver for 2014?
Much as I think the outcome could be a postiive one for all concerned (well, possibly except Massa), it did strike me as a more than usually complex conspiracy theory – presumably if they wanted him, he’d have been second choice after Webber for 2013.
I doubt it.
Thanks Joe. And sorry to be about the fifth person to ask pretty much the same question …
In my opinion the stat at the bottom puts a bit of perspective on Di RIesta’s season; and hopes for a big seat in the near future.
(ignoring the fact that there aren’t any big seat available)
Reblogged this on The Sporting Week and commented:
Hulk joins sauber after two years at Force India.
Who do you think will go to them now?
Good luck to him.
A shame for Paul that he’s not had any better offers though.
Good for him AND Sauber! I think he will do well in this team.
A limited step forward points wise but surely sauber is a better bet financially – given the seemingly well managed situation there as opposed to the possible corporate problems SFI could end up suffering from.
I wonder if this heralds a lot more movement in future years in more ‘sideways’ moves rather than leaping from back marker to top team? Given that drivers need to plan for the team not even being able to compete at all.
Perhaps hulkenberg is also happier with a rookie teammate (assuming the likelihood of his new teammate) granting him lead status rather than the pitch battle between him and di Resta (which he ending up winning so far).
Dear Joe
Surely with all the financial problems that the Kingfisher group has and despite all the protestations that the F1 racing team is a seperate entity I for one would be very concerned about a future there and Sauber would appear a much safer bet of still being around at the end of 2013.
Best wishes
Chris
Agreed
But only for one year. According to Autosprint, he already had an option at Sauber for a long time, even when Ferrari was still looking arround for next year. The fact that he only has a one year contract could imply that he is in pole position to replace Massa in 2014 (with an engine deal for Sauber as a pay-off)?
Joe, Please help me out, next year I want to buy a subscription, I have to pay in pounds? I am in New York City.
It doesn’t matter where your from. Submit a credit card number and the credit card company makes all the conversions. Your statement will be in US dollars not pounds.
PayPal handles the conversion. It’s very easy. Even a caveman like me can figure it out. I even managed to pay twice on one occasion (promptly refunded thanks to Joe).
I’m in Seattle and had no problems subscribing, just use a credit card. It’s worth it. And Joe, thanks for actually reading the blog postings and responding; it’s a lot of work, I know, but it certainly helps makes your site great.
It may well be only a sideways move but with all the rumblings and uncertainty at FIF1, it’s hard to know if they can be as string next year.
Where as Sauber look far more stable.
It may be a “limited step” but it speaks volumes about Nico’s opinions on the future of Force India. You don’t take the risk of jumping from one dinghy to another unless the first one has a hole in it…
A limited step indeed… but at least a step in a forward direction. I think the biggest plus is getting away from Force India, and the Kingfisher woes (assuming there will be any future impact from that).
My understanding is that he did have a 2 year drive contract. Speculation surrounds wages or rather the non payment may have been the deal breaker although I believe both drivers are now up to date.
>it is only a limited step forward for the German.
True, but Sauber seems like it will be in F1 longer than Force India, just based on the amount of creditors beating at the door of Mr Mallya
In terms of current team performance it may be a small step up, but one would imagine that the financial uncertainty that looms over the FI team has the potential to impact their 2013 season quite negatively while at the same time Sauber seams like a team on an upswing.
It’s good to see Hulkenberg progressing, he deserves it after the tough times that followed his ejection from Williams.
I do think that DiResta and the Hulk would have scored far more more points and be ahead of Mercedes if they drive saubers.
In the extremely unlikely event that Sauber can create another podium winning car next year I think the Hulk will come good on talent he shown in his career before F1
Would you read the systematic teamwork bit as an explanation as to why they are not retaining Kobayashi Joe?
Good choice for Nico? Sauber may have peaked this year. http://wp.me/p2HWOP-iV
Negligable rule changes negates their clever pre-season design solutions they had this year. Force India have a bigger budget. According to Mallya – will be spending millions on upgrading tools and equipment this winter.
Cycle of mid-table teams could mean FI do better than Sauber in 2013. Is Sauber the automatic ‘young driver academy’ route into a Ferrari? Well Massa was the last 7 years ago – hardly a conveyor belt then.
Maybe Nico was spooked by Mallya’s financial predicament. Or has he whipped (relatively) his team mate who has 2 consecutive years in the team and thinks he’ll move and his CV should then show by the end of 2013 he whips another – Estaban – next year too.
Maybe he likes skiing!
Don’t get Joe started on ‘according to Mallya’
and it seems Sauber is a wise choice for a young driver. I’d even tip them to come up with something else clever before 2013 Aus.
hi JOE…ForceIndia say Sutil is on their list to replace Nico..Do u think Sutil has a chance with other midfeild teams consdering he brings in some money???
If he has some money he has a good chance of a drive. I did hear that he has a deal with Lenovo, but I will believe it when I see it.
Joe are you willing to guess where Bruno Senna is likely to end up?
No
A lot of people are saying that this is a backwards, or sideways, step for Hulk. But (and correct me if I’m wrong) don’t Sauber do practically everything themselves, whereas Force India buy in a fair bit of technology from McLaren?
If that is the case then surely Sauber is actually a step up as they aren’t dependant on a rival team, and what will FI do when then McLaren deal ends?
Well people forgetting that Sahara owns 50% of Force India and are very comfortable! I believe that they will purchase or be given the reminder of the ownership of the team if Mallya continues to have issues. He is a targeted man by the Indian government who want to kind of screw him, Yes his airline business has financial issue but there is more to the story that meets the eye. Indian politics is very corrupted and he’s in the cross path.
Anyway regarding Force India, they will be here to stay and are financially sound due to Sahara backing! And if Mallya leaves, there could be a chance Tata might get involved and here me dreaming bring back Jaguar to F1 or Land Rover lol.
Regarding the driver issues, I really hope Sutil gets his seat back! He is a fantastic driver and I was saddened when he lost his seat but I think he is Force India’s best choice.
Are Sahara really that sound? Stories seem to indicate that they owe many billions as well…
Mallya’s airline is pretty much done (just a matter of time before it’s made official), and it has nothing to do with politics. Where there’s smoke there’s usually fire, and if that is how he’s managed his airline, what of the rest of his assets?…
A few grands prix ago, i remember either jake humphries or eddie jordan saying that neither of the force india drivers have been paid for months. So this could explain how hulkenberg could leave the team and maybe di resta if another offer was on the cards. Things just dont look good for the team….
I hope Kobi gets another shot. Yes, he probably hasn’t set the world a light with overtaking moves like in his first year (on lasting tyres).
Entertaining as the tyre regs are I think it has taken away from drivers that can really go balls to the walls and put in consistent fast laps without worrying too much about tyres lasting.
If we still had tyres that didn’t need to be nurtured so much I think Schumi’s comeback might have been a bit more successful, but alas, no Bridgestone making him slicks to his preference.
Besides his terrible crash I also think it’s the case for Massa, ironic considering that the tyres of 2008 suited him better than Kimi.
Besides Newey’s obvious genius (and no Byrne to counter him), if the tyres weren’t such a huge influence we’d see the real overtakers, like Hami, Kobi, FA, MS and Kimi come to the fore. I can only wish. Vettel is brilliant, no doubt, but the tyre situation (not forgetting Newey) really suits him.
Of topic Joe, but have you seen this video?
http://www.wired.com/autopia/2012/10/360-red-bull-f1/
AMAZING!
The future is here and yet we probably won’t experience it because Bernie is counting his money somewhere