Hulkenberg Neutral on 2025 Audi Teammate Amid Schumacher Speculation
Oct.15 - Nico Hulkenberg says he is staying "completely neutral" about whether Audi-owned Sauber should sign up Mick Schumacher for 2025.
Insiders left Singapore after the most recent grand prix convinced that Valtteri Bottas was about to be re-signed.
But Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for Blick newspaper, says the 34-year-old Finn is now hesitating to accept an offer of a mere one-year contract.
"What seemed to be just a formality is now Bottas wanting more after three years of being rewarded with millions," he said.
"How long can he continue to gamble, having not scored any points in 28 races? Indycar would be a step down and they certainly wouldn't allow him to set up a gin shop in the paddock."
The major German newspaper Bild also suspects Bottas is dithering over the terms of his proposed 2025 Sauber deal.
"According to our information, Mick was no longer part of new team boss Mattia Binotto's plans. Valtteri Bottas was supposed to be staying for another year. The contract had already been prepared," said correspondents Claudia Bothmann, Enrico Ahlig and Michel Milewski.
"But Bottas is gambling for too much money," they added. "If the veteran sticks to his high demands, Mick Schumacher could be back in the game."
Binotto revealed this week that Schumacher is "definitely" an option for 2025, and that he has met with the 25-year-old former Haas driver recently.
In conversation with FAZ newspaper, he responded to claims that Schumacher is perhaps not the fastest driver in the Formula 1 paddock.
"On some tracks he needs a few more attempts to set the fastest lap," Binotto admitted. "But you have to judge a driver not only by how fast they are, but also by their attitude."
Current Haas driver Hulkenberg, 37, was signed up by Audi-Sauber for 2025 and beyond way back in April. Schumacher as his teammate would complete a tempting all-German driver lineup.
"The Audi factory team will probably fuel a little interest in Germany again," Hulkenberg told Sport1. "German manufacturer, German driver, and of course a German GP would be desirable for a car nation."
However, he was not prepared to say if he would prefer Bottas or Schumacher as his 2025 teammate.
"I have no agenda - I am completely neutral," the German insists. "Firstly, I have no say in the matter, and secondly, the people in charge at Audi will decide which driver duo will deliver the best performance. I will not interfere with that."
Hulkenberg explained that he is not thinking very much about his 2025 project at all just yet.
"There's not much I can do at the moment," he said. "There's not much I can influence that much and it's not my job. I'm still 100 percent at Haas and want to end this chapter as successfully and as positively as possible. So all my energy and focus is on Haas."
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Bottas shouldn't throw away a chance of continuing his career on the highest level over something like money, given he has zero problems on this front anyway after having earned more than enough for a decent living since 2013, not to mention considering all those countless drivers who've never received a chance to compete in F1 for even a single race.
I also question a driver's motive when I read or hear something like this, as money should never be the most decisive factor for competing on the highest level in any sport.
For example, I read Ricciardo saying once that when he was watching F1 as a little kid & naturally dreamed of reaching that category, he never wanted to become an F1 driver for money or to be on TV, etc., which is pure honesty without any questionable aspects.
Riccardo may have thought that as a kid because he was a kid , but the big money offered by Renault and Mcl turned his head, and mths ago Audi or some journo pulled a story out that they didnt want two German drivers , Now ohhh they love , we love it, total crap , Micks being considered because others have said no and hes being used as a stick against VB , nowt else as for VB wanting more money, ha... are Audi short of a few Million , again total crap Imo, itll be he wants a longer deal nowt else, just a double sided bluff, Times on Audis side on this but thanks jornalists for making more out of it as per usual Imo
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