Progress is Nico Hülkenberg's objective for the season.

Having returned to Sauber last year, and now boasting his first F1 podium finish, achieved at the 2025 British Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg is one of the central pieces of Audi's strategy for its arrival in Formula 1At 38, the German driver is eagerly embarking on a factory team project that offers great challenges, but while keeping his feet on the ground.

“It’s great to see the project become a reality, after the whole construction phase, the expectations placed on us… Seeing the car with all the stickers, the sponsors, it’s really a good thing. I can’t wait to get on the track next week and find out what it’s really like!”

While the Audi R26 has already completed its first shakedown at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, the tests scheduled for next week will be Audi's first opportunity to take to the track against its future rivals. Although the new technical regulations force teams to gather as much data as possible over the three test sessions (three days in Barcelona, ​​then six in Bahrain, divided into two three-day sessions), Audi must also contend with constraints related to its engine, as the German manufacturer will produce both the chassis and the powertrain.

“At the start of testing, we’re all going to be learning. The car is basically completely new; almost every screw is different from last year. We need to learn how it reacts to certain things, how it needs to be driven. There’s a big challenge, of course, on the engine side as well, with the active aerodynamic modes and the energy mode management. There are so many new things to understand; the next few weeks will be very busy.”

While Audi is using the Sauber team as a foundation for its project, Nico Hülkenberg is not setting any specific targets for the 2026 season. The German simply wants to see significant progress throughout the year, as the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer aims to compete for the world title by 2030.

“The goal is to show good progress. We obviously want to be competitive, score points, and fight with our rivals. It’s difficult to set a specific target because we haven’t actually driven the cars yet and we have no idea where the competition stands. The main thing is to show that we can progress and grow as a team. This is the first time Audi has manufactured a Formula 1 engine, and it’s obviously a big challenge for this season. However, I get the feeling that the whole team is very motivated for the upcoming season.”

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