Final week, Audi made its first move in F1’s turbulent driver market because it signed Hulkenberg to a multi-year contract which means he’ll depart the Haas squad on the finish of the 2024 marketing campaign.
The transfer, which had been within the works since halfway via 2023 and concerned discussions about Hulkenberg probably becoming a member of Sauber for this season earlier than he ended up persevering with for a second 12 months with Haas, reunites Hulkenberg with Seidl after they received the 2015 Le Mans 24 Hours collectively for Porsche.
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Seidl was then the crew principal for the uber-successful Porsche LMP1 squad, which Hulkenberg joined for 2 rounds in 2015 a Spa and Le Mans, the place he scored well-known debut Le Mans triumph alongside Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.
When requested how vital Seidl had been in getting him onboard with Sauber forward of this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Hulkenberg replied: “Yeah [and] he is additionally the driving issue there.
“One of many deciders, one of many prime key individuals within the administration at Audi. So, in fact, it got here via him.
“And he is a really, you already know, direct and simple man with me.”
Hulkenberg then offered an instance of his relationship with Seidl – a dialog from the 2020 F1 season when the German driver was out of full-time work having been dropped by Renault on the finish of the earlier 12 months and Seidl was then the McLaren crew boss.
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Picture by: Sauber
“I bear in mind 2020 when it was COVID earlier than the season began, and I used to be undecided what I needed to do,” Hulkenberg defined.
“However I bear in mind phoning him up and seeing – he was at McLaren clearly on the time.
“I used to be like, ‘Andy, how is it wanting? Is there perhaps an opportunity for me?’ And he was like, straight, ‘No, do not even get your hopes up. It isn’t going to occur.’
“And you already know, this time round, years later, it was very totally different. He was very eager to signal and to have me.”
On the Arduous Rock Stadium on Thursday, Hulkenberg additionally recalled his earlier season racing for Sauber in 2013, which was a “very totally different set of circumstances” many then considered as a precursor to a Ferrari – who equipped engines to Sauber – transfer that by no means got here.
“With the crew all the things was nice,” he added. “It was solely with one person who it was tough.
“And that was the crew principal, Monisha [Kaltenborn] on the time, which was a bit tough and tough state of affairs, however all the things else was nice.
“Each crew I labored with and raced for I by no means had issues with the crew, with the mechanics, with the engineers, I’ve all the time loved working with all of the crew members and dealing as a pressure, as a crew pushing for efficiency.
“So clearly now that is fairly totally different from again then.”
Extra reporting Mandy Curi and Ronald Vording