Nico Hulkenberg’s ‘shock’ reaction to Audi F1 departure of ‘influential’ Seidl

Future Audi F1 driver Nico Hulkenberg admitted it was a “shock” to see Andreas Seidl depart the team and be replaced by former Ferrari boss Mattia Binotto.

Hulkenberg will move to Sauber for 2025 ahead of Audi’s arrival in 2026 but already the situation he signed up to has changed dramatically with both Seidl and chairman Oliver Hoffmann departing their roles.

Nico Hulkenberg admits shock at Andrea Seidl Audi departure

Additional reporting by Thomas Maher

Hulkenberg is currently the only driver confirmed for the team next season and admitted it was a surprise to see Seidl and Hoffman leave, two characters he said were “influential” to him joining.

“Of course they were influential,” he told media including PlanetF1.com in Spa. “These were the two guys we did the deal with. So that’s obviously kind of an unexpected change.

“I was informed, the day of the announcement about the group’s decision by [CEO of Audi AG] Gernot Döllner himself.

“That’s the group’s decision, they want to change moving forward. I think big projects like this, you know in the management people, are big pillars of such projects, but they never just rely on one or two people. In F1, everyone is kind of changeable.

More on Audi’s arrival into F1

F1 2026: Confirmed teams and power unit suppliers for F1’s huge regulation changes

F1 2026 driver line-up: Lewis Hamilton and 12 other drivers already confirmed for 2026

“And in terms of Mattia, I know him obviously from the past from the paddock, but I’ve never worked with him but that will change in a few months.”

Audi’s arrival has been less than smooth with plenty of reports of disruption behind the scenes but Hulkenberg stated he was not concerned about their future prospects.

“That was obviously a bit of a bit of a shock but now it’s back to business and I still look forward to joining that project,” the 36-year-old said. “And to make it a successful story with Audi.

“The fact that two people that were closely involved in signing me are not there anymore, of course, is maybe a bit sad, but I’m more interested about the project. Joining Formula 1 with Audi, and making it a successful story.”

Read next: Lando Norris’ dramatic McLaren rise only highlights Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari peril