“Waste of a Seat” on Nico Hulkenberg, Fans Deem Gene Haas’s driver Unworthy of Being Carlos Sainz’s Teammate in Audi for 2026

Kick Sauber changed its team name to Stake F1 for the 2024 season, and it will soon become Audi in 2026. This means the team needs to be prepared for the next phase of its lifecycle. Currently, the Stake F1 team is doing extremely poorly, with 0 points across the board for both drivers. However, there are rumors that once the drivers finish the contract this year, the team will look out for new drivers. Now, who will join the team, Audi?

One of the drivers that everyone believes will join the team is Carlos Sainz Jr, as his father has connections with the manufacturer from his ties with them for Dakar. However, the second seat also needs to be filled, and the team has picked Nico Hulkenberg as an option to drive next to Sainz. So far, Nico has managed to score 4 points, putting him 13th on the grid of 21 drivers, and despite scoring some points, he has not managed to win the hearts of fans.

Undoubtedly, Nico Hulkenberg has had a difficult F1 career so far, driving mostly for Force India and Haas. He has a less-than-impressive track record, with zero race wins in his career starting in 2010, which makes him one of the least successful drivers.

Hulkenberg does not only need to score a race win, but he has not yet stepped on the podium in Formula 1. It’s only natural for fans to be disappointed when they hear that he will be placed alongside Carlos Sainz Jr who is performing exceptionally well this year.

Many comments compared the skill differences between the two drivers, stating that Sainz needs a better partner if Stake F1 wants to have a strong transition to Audi. The grid will be almost empty once the season is over, with most drivers going out of their contracts, and this will lead to some major team switches before Audi comes in, Stake F1 would like to have their drivers set for action. That being said, here is what fans had to say about considering Nico Hulkenberg for the team.

Fans unhappy with Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi rumors

Fans are relentless when it comes to their opinion on Hulkenberg, and this fan believes that giving the German a seat in Audi will be a “Will just be a waste of a seat!!”

One fan even mocked Audi, saying, “Audi wants to be as German as possible.”

A fan takes things a step forward, calling this a total waste, and replies, “waste of money, time, and energy.”

This user spoke about his current situation with Haas and asked why Hulkenberg would want to move when he is slowly starting to pick up points for Haas. He wrote, “Like why taking a step back while he’s scoring points with Haas and progressing to join Audi in the 26?”

In order to get Nico Hulkenberg to Audi in a seat next to Carlos Sainz Jr, the team will need to replace both their drivers. According to this fan, he has yet to see an upgrade from the current lineup, meaning they are not happy with the German on the team. He wrote, “Do not see the upgrade at the moment.”

Do you agree with the fans, or do you believe Nico Hulkenberg still has his best years ahead of him? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.