Nico Hülkenberg mocks Carlos Sainz: “Audi reserve seat still up for grabs”

Unbelievable but true: since finishing ninth in the 2025 World Championship finale in Abu Dhabi, GP veteran Nico Hülkenberg has failed to score any points. In Belgium, the German Audi driver is determined to finally turn that around.

Twice eleventh, twice twelfth, let down by technical issues on three occasions – things just aren’t going Nico Hülkenberg’s way. He is one of just four drivers in 2026 who are still without any World Championship points (alongside Aston Martin driver Lance Stroll and the Cadillac duo of Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez).

Will his fortunes turn around at the historic Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps? The chances of that are good for two reasons. Firstly, Audi has recently shown solid pace, with Gabriel Bortoleto finishing eighth at Silverstone.

And secondly, Hülki is always a force to be reckoned with in the Ardennes: he has finished fourth twice on this circuit (in 2012 and 2016 with Force India).

In the paddock at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, the driver with 258 Grand Prix starts under his belt said of his prospects: “I reckon we’ll be roughly where we always are, so in the points. But Spa is a power circuit. We still need to step it up there. So this is going to be a tricky weekend for us.”

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Spa: FP1

FIA Formula One World Championship

17.07.2026 - 13:15

Audi has made progress in terms of the drivetrain’s drivability. How should a Formula 1 fan understand this issue? Nico explains: “There are lots of different factors that the driver feels. It’s about how the power unit reacts when you press the accelerator, how the torque builds up – does it have peaks, or is it smooth?”

“We’re talking about nuances that play out in fractions of a second when you’re balancing the car on the limit. The same applies to the quality of the gear changes, both when shifting up and down. All of this affects the balance of the racing car; it all has to work in tandem.”

A talking point in the Ardennes: energy management on a full-throttle circuit with these turbo-hybrid engines. Nico puts it into perspective: “We’re now at the tenth Grand Prix weekend; every driver should have got used to this by now.”

“Yes, a lap here will feel different to previous years, but not dramatically so. Every driver knows what it feels like to experience derating – when we can no longer draw full power from the electric system at the end of a straight – and that’s going to be a talking point here.”

“But it’ll be the same at Monza and Baku, where we also have long sections of full throttle. We’re used to it by now; it doesn’t feel great in certain sections, but that’s just the way it is with these racing cars. The regulations for 2026 are in place, and things should improve slightly from 2027 onwards.”

Nico Hülkenberg is asked by a colleague about the off-season and Carlos Sainz’s management, who are reportedly targeting Nico’s seat.

Hülkenberg says: “Oh, that’s just a lot of fuss. My contract with Audi is crystal clear; the team is happy with Gabriel and me, and we drivers are happy at Audi.”

Nico then pokes a bit of fun at his 2017/2018 Renault F1 team-mate Sainz. “I reckon the reserve seat would still be up for grabs at Audi, but I’m not sure if Carlos wants it.”