Nico Hulkenberg believes Haas’s present funding drive will assist it turn into a “severe competitor within the years to come back” in Method 1, as he prepares to go to Sauber/Audi.
The German driver will depart Haas after a fruitful two-year stint on the American squad – one season working below former staff boss Guenther Steiner and one 12 months within the new regime below former engineering director Ayao Komatsu.
Haas is in a significantly better constructors’ championship place in 2024 as its automobile package deal now not destroys its tyres throughout races.
This implies Hulkenberg’s continued qualifying heroics since returning as a full-time F1 driver in 2023 have been transformed into six factors finishes, with Kevin Magnussen and his one-off alternative Ollie Bearman additionally scoring.
The staff is presently simply three factors behind RB in an in depth battle for the profitable sixth place within the constructors’ championship.
Crew proprietor Gene Haas has already been satisfied to log out on a recruitment drive designed to extend the squad’s 300-person measurement by 10% and is believed to have additionally green-lit a major funding within the services on the staff’s UK base in Banbury.
When requested how he predicts Haas’s future will go as soon as he heads to the Sauber staff that can turn into Audi in 2026 amidst F1’s subsequent guidelines reset in an unique interview with Autosport, Hulkenberg replied: “I believe the staff is about up very nicely now.
Nico Hulkenberg, Haas VF-24
Picture by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Photographs
“And I believe it is a working organisation and I believe we have proved that to some extent this 12 months the place with the modifications that occurred over winter.
“It [also] at all times relies upon additionally on many different components. Commercially – what sort of companions have they got, what are the price range, what are the assets?
“That is clearly a key factor in that type of query. And I do not know that going ahead, what is going to occur right here.
“However I hear that there’s some extra thrilling stuff within the pipeline for the staff, which can solely assist them, I believe.
“And I believe Haas goes to be a severe competitor within the years to come back, particularly undoubtedly subsequent 12 months nonetheless as a result of the laws are steady.
“2026 is an unknown for everybody, however the thrilling factor is 2026 is a white piece of paper and that makes it so attention-grabbing for everybody who may do a greater job than different groups and stand out.”