Nico Hülkenberg

Vastly experienced and famously rapid over one lap, Germany's Nico Hülkenberg is the ideal driver to lead a brand-new works effort. After years in the midfield he finally broke his long wait for a first F1 podium, silencing a statistic that had unfairly followed him.

For 2026 he spearheads Audi's arrival as the German marque takes over the former Sauber team. His job is to develop a young project, set the benchmark for rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, and give Audi credible reference data as it learns the new rules.