Nico Hulkenberg has pinpointed an upgrade package at the Spanish Grand Prix in June as the turning point in Sauber’s Formula 1 season in 2025.
Following two campaigns with Haas, Hulkenberg returned to the Hinwil-based squad prior to the transition into a works Audi operation from 2026.
Despite capitalising on a chaotic race in Australia to score points in the season opener, Sauber endured an uncompetitive beginning to the season.
Sauber was unable to build on Hulkenberg’s top-10 finish in Melbourne until updates arrived at the eighth round in Barcelona, transforming the C45.
Hulkenberg would come home inside the top five in the debut race with the new parts, changes which allowed him to help Sauber amass 70 points.
“I’m happy with the progress,” Hulkenberg told media including Motorsport Week.
“Just look where the team came from last year, had a really hard time, only one point scoring results.
“Then again, obviously we started really on the wrong foot and turned wrong in the winter again.
“But then recovered from Barcelona onwards. So our season was, if you really analyse it and break it down, we started from Barcelona.
“Okay, we had a lucky punch in Melbourne obviously, but after that, we didn’t really take part in the championship.
“I think the season or the year has been a bit two-sided. As I said, obviously we started off poorly and under the expectations.”
Hulkenberg believes Audi has strong foundation
Hulkenberg’s standout moment came at the British Grand Prix, where smart driving and quick thinking helped him to end his elusive wait to achieve an F1 podium.
“From Barcelona onwards I think we corrected for a lot of it and had many, many point-scoring races, obviously a couple of highlights,” he continued.
“The main highlight being Silverstone with Barcelona, I think Gabi [Bortoleto] in Budapest, the team performance in Austria and a few more. Austin was really good, too.”
“But I think at the end of the day, on balance, probably it’s what we wanted, what we aimed for.
“So, we recovered well, and then obviously because we go into this new era, the development stopped relatively early for most teams, and so for us.
“So I think all things considered, it was a good learning year. I feel we’re growing.
“We’re building as a team, as an organisation, and I think we’re in a good way, which is good, positive, but there’s always things to do better and more.”
READ MORE – What Nico Hulkenberg learned from Gabriel Bortoleto in debut F1 year as Sauber team-mates
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