Nico Hülkenberg

Nicolas Hülkenberg
Nicolas Hülkenberg
Born	August 19, 1987 (age 39); Emmerich am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany
Occupation	Racing driver
Years active	2007–present
Known for	Formula One driver, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner

Nicolas Hülkenberg (, born 19 August 1987) is a German racing driver currently competing in Formula One with Sauber. In the realm of endurance racing, he claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans driving for Porsche.

Originating from Emmerich am Rhein, Hülkenberg started karting at the age of ten, capturing multiple national titles before progressing to junior formula categories in 2005. That year, he secured the Formula BMW ADAC championship and went on to represent Germany in the 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix series, which he also won. Following triumphs at the 2007 Masters of Formula 3 and the 2008 Formula 3 Euro Series, he advanced to the GP2 Series in 2009 with ART, where he became champion in his debut season—joining Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton as the only drivers to achieve this feat.

Having served as a test driver between 2007 and 2009, Hülkenberg made his Formula One debut with Williams in 2010 at the Grand Prix. He secured his inaugural pole position during the GP but was replaced by Pastor Maldonado at the conclusion of that season. In 2011, he took on a reserve driver role for Force India before earning a full-time race seat in 2012. The following year, he competed for Sauber, then returned to Force India in 2014 alongside Sergio Pérez. After two seasons there, he transitioned to Renault from 2017 through 2019. Upon being succeeded by Esteban Ocon, Hülkenberg served as a reserve driver for Force India/Racing Point/Aston Martin from 2020 until 2022, stepping in for Pérez, Lance Stroll, and Sebastian Vettel on five occasions. He resumed full-time racing with the Haas outfit for the 2023 and 2024 campaigns before rejoining Sauber for the 2025 season, where he attained his first podium finish at the GP ahead of Audi’s takeover of the team in 2026.

As of , Hülkenberg has achieved pole positions, fastest laps, and podium finishes in Formula One. He holds notable records including the highest number of starts without a victory () and the longest wait before earning a podium (239 races).

Early and personal life

Nicolas Hülkenberg was born in Emmerich am Rhein, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany, to parents Klaus Dieter and Susanne Hülkenberg. His father is proprietor of Hülkenberg Spedition e. K, a logistics company based in Emmerich am Rhein, where Nicolas completed training as a freight forwarding specialist. He is proficient in German, Dutch, French, and English.

Currently residing in Monaco, Hülkenberg is married to Lithuanian fashion designer Eglė Ruškytė; together they have one daughter born in 2021.

Earlier in his career, he was managed by Willi Weber, known for managing Michael Schumacher. Weber anticipated his progression to Formula One by , describing him as an "unbelievable talent" and nicknaming him "The Hulk" due to his intense driving style transformation.

Karting

Starting karting at age ten in 1997, Hülkenberg won the German Junior Karting Championship in 2002 followed by the German Kart Championship title in 2003.

Formula BMW

In 2005, Hülkenberg made his debut in German Formula BMW, commanding the championship and ultimately clinching the title. Although initially victorious at the Formula BMW world final, he was subsequently disqualified for brake-testing competitors during a safety car phase.

A1 Grand Prix

During the 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix season, Hülkenberg represented A1 Team Germany and secured nine victories in his debut year. His outstanding results brought Germany close to winning the championship, finishing with 128 points—35 points clear of the runner-up, Team New Zealand.

Formula Three

In 2006, Hülkenberg achieved fifth place in the German Formula Three Championship. The next year, he advanced to the Formula 3 Euro Series, joining ASM, a team renowned for nurturing champions such as Lewis Hamilton and Paul di Resta. He claimed his maiden victory at Norisring after starting 18th on the grid, then added wins at Zandvoort and Nürburgring. Despite encountering difficulties at Magny-Cours, he concluded the 2007 season third overall with four wins and a total of 72 points.

Hülkenberg triumphed in the non-championship Masters of Formula 3 event at Zolder by overtaking teammate and championship leader Romain Grosjean, who stalled at the start. In 2008, he secured the Formula 3 Euro Series title by winning seven feature races and amassing 85 points.

GP2

Hülkenberg made his GP2 debut during the third round of the 2008–09 GP2 Asia Series in Bahrain, racing for ART Grand Prix as a replacement for Pastor Maldonado. He achieved pole position on his first attempt and finished both races in fourth place, ending up seventh in the championship standings. At his second event in Qatar, he became the inaugural pole-sitter and winner of a night race, dominating by over thirteen seconds ahead of Sergio Pérez. He also finished third in the sprint race, gathering 27 points from four outings. Maldonado returned for the final rounds, with Hülkenberg concluding sixth overall.

Remaining with ART Grand Prix for the 2009 GP2 Series alongside Maldonado, Hülkenberg earned his first points at Monaco, including a podium finish in the sprint race. He obtained his first pole position at Istanbul Park but failed to reach the podium there. At Silverstone, he scored points in both races and secured a sprint race podium. His standout performance came at his home round at Nürburgring: from pole position, he won the feature race with the fastest lap and then surged from eighth to claim victory in the sprint race also setting the fastest lap—becoming only the second driver after Nelson Piquet Jr. to complete a weekend sweep of pole position, two wins, and two fastest laps.

Hülkenberg continued his success with a feature race win at Hungaroring and a sprint race victory at Valencia, followed by a second place in the Belgian feature race at Spa-Francorchamps. He clinched the championship with two rounds remaining after finishing third in the Monza sprint race, establishing an unassailable 22-point lead. He became only the third rookie to claim the GP2 title after Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton and was the second driver following Hamilton to win consecutive GP3/F3 and GP2/F2 championships. A fifth triumph at Algarve pushed him beyond 100 points; he ultimately secured the championship by a margin of 25 points over Vitaly Petrov. Notably, Hülkenberg finished 64 points ahead of teammate Maldonado, who would capture the title the following year and earn a Williams Formula One seat for 2011.

Formula One career

Hülkenberg's initial experience with a Formula One vehicle came in 2007 when he tested for Williams. This opportunity arose after his manager Willi Weber facilitated the test following unsuccessful negotiations with Renault's Flavio Briatore. At Spain's Circuito de Jerez, he outpaced Williams driver Kazuki Nakajima and recorded lap times just 0.4 seconds behind Nico Rosberg. This strong showing earned him a position as a Williams test driver, a role he maintained through 2009 despite restrictions on in-season testing. Additionally, he functioned as the team's reserve driver.

Williams (2010)

On 2 November 2009, it was announced that Hülkenberg would race for Williams in , teaming up with the seasoned Rubens Barrichello, who had transferred from the former Brawn GP outfit now under Mercedes-Benz ownership.

Hülkenberg made his debut at the , where he finished fourteenth after recovering from a spin. During the second round in Australia, he was involved in a first-lap incident triggered by Kamui Kobayashi's front wing failure. At the Malaysian Grand Prix, Hülkenberg qualified fifth—marking his inaugural appearance in Q3—and outqualified Barrichello for the first time. He scored his first Formula One points by finishing tenth following Fernando Alonso's retirement. Further points finishes occurred at Silverstone, Hungary (where he achieved sixth place, his career best), Italy, Singapore, and Korea. However, at the Japanese GP, a collision with Renault's Vitaly Petrov ended both drivers' races prematurely. Towards the end of the season, rumors circulated that Hülkenberg might lose his seat to GP2 champion Pastor Maldonado, who brought substantial sponsorship backing; Force India's Adrian Sutil was also mentioned as a potential replacement.

On 6 November, Hülkenberg claimed his first Formula One pole position during a rain-affected , leading by over a second ahead of Sebastian Vettel. This marked Williams's first pole since the 2005 European Grand Prix. Although he lost the lead on the opening lap, he managed to finish eighth due to faster cars behind him.

After the race, team principal Frank Williams confirmed that Hülkenberg would not remain with Williams for .

2011

On 26 January 2011, Hülkenberg was appointed as Force India's reserve driver for the season, participating in Friday practice sessions. He took over from Paul di Resta, who was promoted to a full-time race seat. Hülkenberg took part in most first practice sessions throughout the season except at Monaco, Hungary, Korea, India, and Abu Dhabi.

2012

On 16 December 2011, Force India announced that both di Resta and Hülkenberg would be their drivers for the 2012 season.^[1] At the , Hülkenberg qualified ninth—six positions ahead of di Resta—but retired early due to damage sustained in a first-lap collision. He earned his first points for Force India at the subsequent race in Malaysia by finishing ninth after starting from sixteenth on the grid. In China, he qualified sixteenth again and later achieved his best Formula One result to date by finishing fourth at Belgium; during this race, he ran as high as second before pit stops and was eventually passed by Kimi Räikkönen and Sebastian Vettel.

Following non-scoring results in Italy and Singapore, Hülkenberg collected points across five consecutive races except at Abu Dhabi, where a first-lap accident forced him to retire—his longest streak of points finishes so far.

At Brazil’s final race, Hülkenberg qualified seventh but started sixth due to a penalty imposed on Pastor Maldonado. By lap five, he overtook Fernando Alonso for third place and moved up to second when Lewis Hamilton made a pit stop. On lap 19, Hülkenberg took the lead by passing Jenson Button. Leading by 45 seconds before a safety car period reduced the gap, he lost control on lap 49 and later collided with Hamilton on lap 55 while attempting an overtaking maneuver. This incident marked Hamilton’s last race with McLaren; Hülkenberg received a drive-through penalty and finished fifth—missing out on both his first podium and race victory. Despite this setback, he secured 11th place in the Drivers' Championship ahead of Kamui Kobayashi.

Hülkenberg concluded the season with 17 more points than teammate Paul di Resta and outqualified him twelve times compared to eight occasions.

Sauber (2013)

On 31 October 2012, Sauber officially announced the signing of Hülkenberg for their 2013 lineup.

Hülkenberg was unable to start the season opener due to a fuel system leak in his Sauber C32 following an eleventh-place qualifying position; for safety concerns, he was withdrawn. At the subsequent race, he qualified twelfth and completed the event in eighth place. His top qualifying performance came at the 2013 Italian Grand Prix, where he secured third on the grid and finished fifth after dropping two positions to Ferrari drivers Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso, while successfully defending against Mercedes' Nico Rosberg. During the Korean Grand Prix, Hülkenberg achieved his best race result of fourth, showcasing impressive defensive driving in duels with Hamilton and Alonso.

2014

On 3 December 2013, Force India confirmed Hülkenberg would join Sergio Pérez for the 2014 season. He initially finished seventh at the season opener but was elevated to sixth following Daniel Ricciardo's disqualification. Consecutive fifth-place finishes in Malaysia and Bahrain placed him third in the Drivers' Championship, trailing only Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.

At the next event, Hülkenberg secured sixth place, earning eight points; however, he dropped to fourth in the Drivers' standings after Alonso claimed third. Force India slipped from second to behind Red Bull Racing in the Constructors' Championship.

Through consistent points scoring, Hülkenberg concluded the season ninth overall with a personal best of 96 points, surpassing teammate Pérez’s 59 points and aiding Force India’s sixth-place finish in the Constructors' rankings. His top results included four fifth-place finishes.

In October 2014, Force India confirmed Hülkenberg would remain with the team for 2015.

2015

The 2015 campaign began with a seventh-place finish in Australia for Hülkenberg, though he did not add further points until Canada while driving an uncompetitive Force India car. A major crash in Hungary caused by a front wing failure cost him a potential fourth-place finish. He failed to complete five of the next seven races due to various issues: power unit failure in Belgium, collisions in Singapore and Russia, and suspension damage in the United States. He ended the year tenth in the Drivers' Championship with 58 points—20 points fewer than his teammate—and contributed to Force India's fifth place in the Constructors' standings. His highest race finish was sixth place on three occasions.

2016

Hülkenberg continued partnering Sergio Pérez at Force India for the 2016 season. After starting with seventh place in Australia, he struggled with uncompetitive machinery, finishing fifteenth in both subsequent races. Retirements followed due to collisions and mechanical failures in Russia and the next race. At Monaco, he qualified fifth and was on course for a podium finish but ultimately placed sixth after encountering pit lane congestion and team orders involving his teammate. The following rounds produced mixed outcomes: a qualifying spin in Baku limited him to ninth; he qualified third in Austria but retired because of brake issues; then earned five consecutive points finishes including a fourth place in Belgium—his best result that year—before retiring after contact during Singapore.

Approaching his announced transfer to Renault for 2017, Hülkenberg demonstrated improved form: he qualified seventh in the United States but retired following a first-lap collision; secured fifth on the grid and finished seventh in Mexico ahead of Ferrari drivers; outqualified Pérez and ran fourth in Brazil before losing a podium opportunity due to a puncture, recovering to seventh; and finished seventh again in Abu Dhabi after surviving an opening lap clash with Max Verstappen.

He amassed 72 points overall, finishing ninth in the Drivers' Championship while helping Force India achieve fourth place in the Constructors' classification.

2017

On 14 October 2016, Renault Sport officially confirmed Hülkenberg’s multi-year deal to race with their Formula One outfit.

He earned his initial points for Renault during the season’s third round in Bahrain, finishing 9th, followed by an 8th place in Russia. His 6th place finish at Spain marked Renault’s strongest performance since their comeback in 2016. A gearbox malfunction halted his points streak at Monaco. He secured 8th place in Canada, but retired in Azerbaijan after hitting a wall while running 6th. In Austria, he placed 13th, trailing teammate Jolyon Palmer for the first time.

A major upgrade introduced at the 2017 British Grand Prix helped him claim 6th position. In Hungary, Renault’s car was considered the ‘best of the rest’ behind the leading three teams; Hülkenberg qualified 7th but started 12th due to a gearbox penalty. Despite a slow pit stop and a collision with Kevin Magnussen—which earned Magnussen a time penalty—Hülkenberg was forced to retire from the race. This incident sparked a public dispute between both drivers. By the mid-season break, Hülkenberg had collected 26 points and was placed 10th in the championship standings.

After the break, he qualified 7th and finished 6th at Belgium. At Singapore, following early retirements of several frontrunners, Hülkenberg briefly held 3rd place; however, strategic mistakes coupled with an oil leak caused him to retire. This race established him as the driver with the most F1 starts without ever reaching the podium.

It was announced that Carlos Sainz Jr. would take over from Palmer starting at the next race in Austin. Hülkenberg retired early at the Japanese GP due to a DRS malfunction. Throughout the season, Hülkenberg significantly outperformed Palmer, scoring 34 points compared to Palmer’s 8 and outperforming him in qualifying at every race.

During the USA and Mexico, Hülkenberg retired owing to engine problems despite running strongly. He returned to scoring points at the Brazilian GP, finishing 10th ahead of Sainz. In Abu Dhabi, he qualified as ‘best of the rest’ in 7th and finished 6th despite receiving a contentious penalty, contributing to Renault overtaking Toro Rosso to secure 6th place in the Constructors' Championship.

Hülkenberg concluded the year with 43 points, tied with Massa but ranked higher due to more consistent results, placing him 10th overall. He dominated teammate comparisons with a qualifying margin of 19-1 and outscored his teammates by 43–14 throughout the season.

2018

Hülkenberg continued with Renault for the 2018 campaign alongside Carlos Sainz, who was undertaking his first full season with the squad. The season began positively, with Hülkenberg achieving a 7th place and two 6th places across the opening three races. The Australian Grand Prix marked Renault’s first double points finish since their return in 2011, with Sainz finishing 10th.

At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Hülkenberg incurred a five-place grid penalty due to a gearbox change, dropping from a qualifying position of 9th to start 14th. He advanced to 5th place by lap ten but lost control and crashed out, ending a five-race streak of scoring points. This was his second retirement from a top-six position in Baku within two seasons.

His difficulties continued in Spain where a fuel pressure problem caused him to be eliminated in Q1 for the first time in 59 races. During the race, he was taken out on lap one by Romain Grosjean’s spin; Grosjean later received a grid penalty for this incident. At Monaco, Hülkenberg was outqualified by Sainz for the first time since 2016 but finished 8th after Sainz ceded position under team orders. He followed this with a solid 7th place finish in Canada.

During Formula One’s inaugural triple-header weekend—France, Austria, and Britain—Hülkenberg finished ninth in France but retired from ninth place in Austria due to engine failure (his third retirement within six races). He bounced back to finish sixth in Britain. At his home race in Germany, he achieved his best result of the season for Renault by finishing fifth despite starting from thirteenth on account of refueling complications. At mid-season, he had accumulated 52 points and stood seventh in the drivers' championship, effectively leading what is often referred to as "Formula 1.5" midfield teams behind Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull.

In Belgium, starting eighteenth because of engine penalties, Hülkenberg caused a significant first-lap crash by misjudging his braking and colliding with Fernando Alonso; Alonso’s car was airborne over Charles Leclerc’s Sauber as a result. The collision also eliminated Kimi Räikkönen and Daniel Ricciardo from contention. Race stewards attributed fault to Hülkenberg and imposed a ten-place grid penalty for the following event. Despite initial skepticism about that year’s newly introduced halo safety device, Hülkenberg acknowledged its value after witnessing its role during this accident.

Renault experienced a dip in competitiveness mid-season as reflected by Hülkenberg scoring only one point across four races. He recovered well with a sixth-place finish at the United States Grand Prix; combined with Sainz’s seventh place, this represented Renault’s best team performance since their F1 return in 2016. Another strong showing came at Mexico where he again finished sixth. The season concluded with retirements: one in Brazil due to excessive engine temperatures and another in Abu Dhabi following contact with Grosjean that pushed him into barriers.

Hülkenberg completed the year as “champion of the rest,” placing seventh overall with 69 points—seven points ahead of Sergio Pérez—as Renault secured fourth position in the Constructors' Championship.

2019

For the 2019 campaign, Renault paired Hülkenberg with experienced Grand Prix victor Daniel Ricciardo, who had transferred from Red Bull. Having yet to reach the podium after 158 starts, Hülkenberg regarded this partnership as a crucial benchmark to measure himself against a driver with proven success. Renault’s managing director Cyril Abiteboul described their duo as "possibly the strongest driver lineup on the grid."

Hülkenberg began the season well, outperforming Ricciardo in qualifying at the 2019 Australian Grand Prix, although an engine malfunction relegated him to 11th on the starting grid. He recovered to finish 7th after a competitive race. In Bahrain, an engine mapping fault limited his qualifying to 17th place; however, he climbed to 6th before retiring due to engine failure alongside Ricciardo, leading Abiteboul to condemn Renault’s power unit reliability as "unacceptable." Further engine-related retirements followed in China.

A qualifying crash in Spain forced Hülkenberg to start from the pit lane, ultimately finishing 13th. At Monaco, contact with Charles Leclerc ended his hopes of scoring points as both drivers suffered punctures. He then achieved points finishes in Canada (7th) and France (8th). Despite facing difficulties including contact and an engine-induced 'limp mode' at Silverstone, he managed to finish 10th but expressed dissatisfaction with team strategy.

At his home event in Germany, Hülkenberg crashed while running fourth in wet conditions, attributing the incident partly to insufficient run-off tarmac. An engine issue in Hungary restricted him to 12th place. By midseason, he was 14th in the drivers’ championship with 17 points, trailing teammate Ricciardo by five; Renault’s overall team points had declined significantly from the previous year.

Ahead of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, Renault announced that Mercedes reserve driver Esteban Ocon would replace Hülkenberg for the 2020 season. Hülkenberg implied that nationality played a role in this decision. Alain Prost revealed that Renault offered Hülkenberg a one-year contract extension, which he declined as he sought a two-year agreement.

Following the summer break, Hülkenberg qualified seventh in Belgium but started twelfth due to grid penalties; he finished eighth employing an alternative race strategy. In Italy, Renault secured their strongest result since their 2016 return with both cars finishing fourth and fifth—matching Hülkenberg’s best outcome with the team.

In Singapore, after Ricciardo was disqualified from qualifying, Hülkenberg started eighth but was involved in a first-lap collision causing punctures; he recovered to ninth place, marking his third consecutive points finish. A poor getaway and a pit stop error in Russia saw him drop outside the top ten; nevertheless, he finished tenth despite these challenges.

Mechanical difficulties limited his qualifying position to 15th in Japan; during the race, he advanced to tenth but was later disqualified due to an illegal automated brake bias system found on both Renault cars—marking Hülkenberg’s first career disqualification.

He scored a point in Mexico despite being spun into the wall, promoted to tenth following Daniil Kvyat’s penalty. In the United States Grand Prix, he finished ninth but endured a challenging race in Brazil due to safety car interruptions and penalties, concluding classified 15th.

At the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Hülkenberg was voted Driver of the Day after finishing twelfth in what was likely his final Formula 1 appearance owing to no available seat for 2020.

He completed the year ranked 14th with 37 points—his lowest championship position since his debut—and accumulated 17 fewer points than teammate Ricciardo.

Racing Point / Aston Martin reserve driver (2020–2022)

Without a full-time Formula 1 contract in 2020, Hülkenberg stepped in for Sergio Pérez at Racing Point during the British Grand Prix and the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix after Pérez tested positive for COVID-19. He qualified 13th at Silverstone but was unable to start the race due to an engine malfunction. In the subsequent 70th Anniversary GP, Hülkenberg secured third on the grid behind the Mercedes drivers and concluded the race in seventh place after significant tyre degradation impacted his performance. With Pérez returning for the Spanish Grand Prix, Hülkenberg did not compete. Later, he replaced an unwell Lance Stroll at the Eifel Grand Prix, beginning from the last position but finishing eighth, earning recognition as "Driver of the Day."

Following Racing Point's transition to Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team, Hülkenberg was appointed as reserve and development driver for the season, a decision influenced by his impressive substitute outings. He maintained this role during , stepping in for Sebastian Vettel at the opening round, the Bahrain Grand Prix, after Vettel contracted COVID-19, finishing 17th. Additionally, he competed at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, starting from 17th and crossing the line in 12th place.

After the Hungarian Grand Prix, Hülkenberg took part in Pirelli tyre development sessions alongside Lance Stroll, assisting Aston Martin's preparation efforts for the 2023 campaign.

2023

In November 2022, Haas F1 Team announced the signing of Nico Hülkenberg for their 2023 lineup, partnering with Kevin Magnussen and replacing Mick Schumacher.<ref> Despite receiving a fifteen-second penalty for track limits infringement that did not affect his classification, Hülkenberg qualified tenth and finished fifteenth at his debut race.<ref> At the 2023 Australian Grand Prix, he briefly held fourth place following a late red flag period but was relegated to seventh when positions were reset; Haas's appeal was unsuccessful.<ref> During a wet qualifying session at the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix, Hülkenberg achieved second on the grid but incurred a three-place penalty due to a red flag violation, starting fifth. He ultimately finished 15th, hampered by tyre wear and an ill-timed safety car period.<ref><ref> At the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix, he secured fourth in wet conditions for the Sprint race, finishing sixth and earning three points that elevated Haas to seventh in the Constructors' Championship.<ref> Although qualifying eighth for the main event, he retired early because of engine trouble.<ref> By mid-season, Hülkenberg had recorded six top-10 qualifying results compared to Magnussen’s single top-10 start; however, Haas struggled with tyre degradation issues and slipped to eighth in the championship standings.<ref>

Hülkenberg concluded the season ranked 16th overall with nine points, outperforming Magnussen’s three. Despite limited scoring opportunities, he received commendations for consistently strong qualifying performances, achieving eleven top-ten grid positions across sprint and conventional qualifying sessions following three years away from a full-time seat.

2024

In August 2023, Haas confirmed that both Hülkenberg and Magnussen would continue with the team for the 2024 season. Hülkenberg earned his first point of the year by finishing tenth at the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, benefiting from robust defensive driving by his teammate. He continued to add points finishes in both Australia and China. At the 2024 Austrian Grand Prix, he secured sixth place after successfully defending against Sergio Perez’s Red Bull, while Magnussen finished eighth—marking Haas's best result of the season and lifting them to seventh in the Constructors' standings.

Hülkenberg matched this sixth-place finish at the 2024 British Grand Prix, where he qualified and finished in that same position. He again qualified sixth at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix but ended ninth after a defensive race. Additional points-scoring finishes included eighth place at the 2024 United States Grand Prix and ninth at the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix, where Magnussen achieved seventh.

During the wet conditions of the 2024 São Paulo Grand Prix, Hülkenberg was disqualified after receiving assistance from marshals to rejoin the track, becoming the first driver to be black-flagged since 2007. Following an eighth-place finish at the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix and a retirement at the 2024 Qatar Grand Prix, he qualified fourth for the season finale at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, ahead of reigning champion Max Verstappen. However, a three-place grid penalty for overtaking after exiting the pit lane relegated him to start seventh. He finished eighth in that race but dropped to eleventh in the final standings after Pierre Gasly secured seventh place.

2025: First podium finish with Sauber

After departing from Haas, Hülkenberg joined Sauber as part of the preparations for Audi’s acquisition from . He teamed up with the current FIA Formula 2 titleholder Gabriel Bortoleto, taking over from Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.<ref> Sauber accumulated six points during the rain-affected season opener, exceeding their entire previous season’s total.<ref> Although he endured seven consecutive races without scoring points—including a disqualification in Bahrain due to skid block wear—technical upgrades introduced before the Grand Prix propelled Sauber into midfield battles. Hülkenberg qualified in sixteenth position and capitalized on a late safety car to finish fifth.<ref> He then secured eighth place in Canada and ninth in Austria, despite starting at the back of the grid in the latter event.<ref>

At the rain-soaked , Hülkenberg achieved his inaugural Formula One podium by finishing third after beginning nineteenth on the grid. This ended his extraordinary streak of 239 races without a top-three result and represented Sauber’s first podium appearance in 13 years.<ref> His strategy, described as "perfectly-timed," enabled him to fend off Lewis Hamilton’s advances.<ref> The drive garnered widespread acclaim from fellow drivers and commentators, many deeming it a long-overdue achievement.<ref> Following this, he finished outside the points with twelfth place in Belgium and thirteenth in Hungary.<ref><ref>

2026: Audi

Hülkenberg is under contract to remain alongside Bortoleto at the newly rebranded Audi outfit for the season.^[2]

Sportscar racing

In November 2014, it was announced that Hülkenberg would compete in the 2015 24 Hours of Le Mans piloting a third factory-supported Porsche 919 Hybrid. He also participated in the 2015 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps round of the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship season as part of his preparation.<ref>

On 14 June 2015, Hülkenberg claimed victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside British driver Nick Tandy and New Zealander Earl Bamber, completing 395 laps—just one lap ahead of their Porsche teammates Mark Webber, Brendon Hartley, and Timo Bernhard. This triumph marked Porsche’s first overall win since 1998.<ref> Hülkenberg became the first active Formula One competitor to win Le Mans since Johnny Herbert and Bertrand Gachot achieved it in 1991.<ref>

IndyCar

On 25 October 2021, Hülkenberg tested the No. 7 Arrow McLaren SP IndyCar at Barber Motorsports Park, with AMSP evaluating him for a potential part-time role in 2022.<ref> During testing, he completed over 100 laps and recorded a fastest time approximately one second behind leading driver David Malukas.<ref><ref> Nevertheless, he opted not to pursue an IndyCar career, citing reluctance to compete on oval circuits and finding the Dallara DW12 more physically challenging than Formula One vehicles.<ref>

Although he declined oval racing opportunities within IndyCar, Hülkenberg has prior superspeedway experience from competing in the ADAC East Side 100 oval event at Eurospeedway Lausitz during his 2006 German Formula Three season with Josef Kaufmann Racing.

Other pursuits

Hülkenberg established his own outfit in the eSkootr Championship, operating under the name "27X by Nico Hülkenberg," which represents his involvement in this up-and-coming electric scooter racing competition.

Summary of karting career

Season	Series	Team	Standing
2000	Trofeo Andrea Margutti — 100 Junior		17th place
	Italian Open Masters — ICA Junior		14th place
	CIK-FIA Green Helmet Trophy – Cadet		11th place
2001	South Garda Winter Cup — ICA Junior		5th place
	Italian Open Masters — ICA Junior		Champion
	CIK-FIA Green Helmet Trophy – Cadet	CRG Holland	Runner-up
	German Karting Championship — Junior	CRG Holland	25th place
2002	South Garda Winter Cup — ICA Junior	CRG Holland	24th place
	Italian Open Masters — ICA Junior		Champion
	CIK-FIA European Championship — ICA Junior		8th place
	German Karting Championship — Junior		Champion
2003	South Garda Winter Cup — Formula A	CRG Holland	7th place
	Trofeo Andrea Margutti — Formula A		33rd place
	Italian Open Masters — Formula A		5th place
	German Karting Championship — Senior		Champion
	CIK-FIA European Championship — Formula A		41st place
	CIK-FIA World Championship — Formula A		32nd place
2004	South Garda Winter Cup — Formula A	CRG Holland	28th place
	Italian Open Masters — Formula A		8th place
	German Karting Championship — Senior		Runner-up

Summary of racing career

│<FIA World Endurance Championship season> │rowspan=2:<Porsche Team> │2 │1 │0 │0 │1 │58 │9th │<24 Hours of Le Mans> │1 │1 │0 │0 │1 │N/A │style='background:#FFFFBF;' Winner <2021 IndyCar Series> <Arrow McLaren SP> Test driver

Season	Series	Team	Starts	Victories	Pole positions	Fastest laps	Podium finishes	Points	Final standing
2005	2005 Formula BMW ADAC season	Josef Kaufmann Racing	20	8	9	6	14	287	'1st'
2005	2005 Formula BMW World Final	Josef Kaufmann Racing	1	0	0	1	1	N/A	'style=background:#FFDF9F;' '3rd'
2006	2006 German Formula Three Championship	Josef Kaufmann Racing 18 1 3 5 6 78 5th
2006	get=nowrap= V de V Challenge Endurance Moderne	get=align=left Griffith's	get=2	get=1	get=2	get=?	get=1	get=50	get=17th
get=nowrap 2006–07 A1 Grand Prix season	get=align=left A1 Team Germany	get=20	get=9	get=3	get=5	get=14	get=128	'style='background:#FFFFBF;' '1st'
rowspan=4 2007	get='Formula 3 Euro Series'	get='ASM Formule 3'	get='20'	get='4'	get='2'	get='3'	get='8'	get='72'	'style='background:#FFDF9F;' '3rd'
'Macau Grand Prix'	'1'	'0'	'0'	'0'	'0'	'N/A'	'23rd'
'Masters of Formula 3'	'1'	'1'	'0'	'0'	'1'	'N/A'	'style='background:#FFFFBF;' '1st'
'Formula One World Championship (Test/Reserve driver)'	'Williams Grand Prix Engineering (AT&T Williams)'
'rowspan'=3 2008	'Formula 3 Euro Series'	'ART Grand Prix'	'20'	'7'	'6'	'7'	'8'	'87'	'style='background:#FFFFBF;' '1st'
'Masters of Formula 3'	'1'	'0'	'1'	'0'	'1'	'N/A'	'style='background:#DFDFDF;' '2nd'
'Formula One World Championship (Test/Reserve driver)'	'Williams Grand Prix Engineering (AT&T Williams)'
'2008–09'	'GP2 Asia Series'	'ART Grand Prix'	'4'	'1'	'2'	'0'	'2'	'27'	'6th'
'rowspan'=2 2009	'GP2 Series'	'ART Grand Prix'	'20'	'5'	'3'	'5'	'10'	'100'	'style='background:#FFFFBF;' '1st
'Formula One World Championship (Test/Reserve driver)'	'Williams Grand Prix Engineering (AT&T Williams)'
'2010	'Formula One World Championship	'Williams Grand Prix Engineering (AT&T Williams)	'19	'0	'1	'0	'0	'22	'14th
'2011	'Formula One World Championship (Test/Reserve driver)	'Force India F1 Team
'2012	'Formula One World Championship	'Sahara Force India F1 Team	'20 <'0'> <'0'> <'1'> <'0'> <'63'> <'11th'>
'2013 <'Formula One World Championship'> <'Sauber F1 Team'> <'19'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'51'> <'10th'>
'2014 <'Formula One World Championship'> <'Sahara Force India F1 Team'> <'19'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'96'> <'9th'>
'rowspan'=3│2015 │<Formula One World Championship> │<Sahara Force India F1 Team> │19 │0 │0 │0 │0 │58 │10th
'2016 <'Formula One World Championship'> <'Sahara Force India F1 Team'> <'21'> <'0'> <'0'> <'1'> <'0'> <'72'> <'9th'>
'2017 <'Formula One World Championship'> <'Renault Sport F1 Team'> <'20'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'43'> <'10th'>
'2018 <'Formula One World Championship'> <'Renault Sport F1 Team'> <'21'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'0'> <'69'> 7th
'2019 <Formula One World Championship> <Renault F1 Team> 21 0 0 0 0 37 14th
'2020 <Formula One World Championship> <BWT Racing Point F1 Team> 3 0 0 0 0 10 15th
'rowspan'=2 │2021 <Formula One World Championship> <Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team> Reserve driver
'2022 <Formula One World Championship> <Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team> 2 0 0 0 0 0 22nd
'2023 <Formula One World Championship> MoneyGram Haas F1 Team 22 0 0 0 0 9 16th
'2024 <Formula One World Championship>' MoneyGram Haas F1 Team 24 0 0 0 0 41 11
'2025 Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". Template:F1stat:HUL wins Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". Expression error: Unrecognized punctuation character "[". Template:F1stat:HUL podiums Template:F1R2025:HUL points* Template:F1R2025:HUL WDC*

Season currently underway.

Single-seater Racing Results

Full Formula BMW ADAC Results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole position; those in italics signify the fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	DC	Points
2005	Josef Kaufmann Racing	HOC1 1 1	HOC1 2 1	LAU 1 2	LAU 2 1	SPA 1 4	SPA 2 2	NÜR1 1 1	NÜR1 2 2	BRN 1 3	BRN 2 4	OSC 1 1	OSC 2 4	NOR 1 19†	NOR 2 1	NÜR2 1 3	NÜR2 2 4	ZAN 1 1	ZAN 2 3	HOC2 1 6	HOC2 2 1	1st	287

Complete German Formula Three Championship Results

(key) (Pole positions are shown in bold, fastest laps in italics)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	DC	Points

|- | 2006

!nowrap | Josef Kaufmann Racing
|style = "background: #EFCFFF;" |  OSC1 
1  
 
|style = " background: #DFDFDF; " |  OSC1 < br />2  < br /> 
|style = " background: #DFFFDF; " |  HOC < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #FFFFBF; " |  HOC < br />2  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFFFDF; " |  LAU1 < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFDFDF; " |  LAU1 < br />2  < br /> 
| style = " background: #CFCFFF; " |  NÜR1 < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFFFDF; " |  NÜR1 < br />2  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFFFDF; " |  NÜR2 < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #EFCFFF; " |  NÜR2 < br />2  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFDFDF; " |  ASS1 < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFDFDF; " |  ASS1 < br />2  < br /> 
| style = " background: #CFCFFF; " |  LAU2 < br />1  < br /> 
| style = " background: #DFFFDF; " |  LAU2 < br />2  < br /> 
|- style = " background: #DFFFDF; "
!5th !78

|}

Full A1 Grand Prix Results

(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; races in italics signify fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	Final Position	Points
2006–07	Germany	NED SPR 4th	NED FEA 1st	CZE SPR Retired	CZE FEA 4th	BEI SPR 5th	BEI FEA Retired	MYS SPR 2nd	MYS FEA 1st	IDN SPR 5th	IDN FEA 2nd	NZL SPR 1st	NZL FEA 1st	AUS SPR 1st	AUS FEA 1st	RSA SPR 1st	RSA FEA 1st	MEX SPR	MEX FEA	SHA SPR 3rd	SHA FEA 3rd	GBR SPR 2nd	GBR FEA 1st	Champion	128

Complete Formula 3 Euro Series Results

(key) (Bolded races indicate pole position; italicized races denote fastest lap)

Year	Team	Chassis Model	Engine Manufacturer	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Final Standing	Points

|- | 2007

!nowrap | ART Grand Prix
!nowrap | Dallara F305/021 
!nowrap | Mercedes-Benz 
|style = "background: #DFDFDF" | HOC 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #CFCFFF" | HOC 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #DFFFDF" | BRH 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #DFFFDF" | BRH 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #EFCFFF" | NOR 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #FFFFBF" | NOR 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #EFCFFF" | MAG 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #CFCFFF" | MAG 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #CFCFFF" | MUG 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #CFCFFF" | MUG 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #DFFFDF" | ZAN 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #FFFFBF" | ZAN 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #FFFFBF" | NÜR 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #DFFFDF" | NÜR 
Race 2  
  
|style = "background: #DFDFDF" | CAT 
Race 1  
  
|style = "background: #CFCFFF" | CAT 
Race 2

|}

Full GP2 Asia Series standings

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; those in italics represent fastest laps)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Final Position	Total Points
2008–09	ART Grand Prix	CHN FEA	CHN SPR	DUB FEA	DUB SPR	BHR1 FEA 4	BHR1 SPR 4	QAT FEA 1	QAT SPR 3	MYS FEA	MYS SPR	BHR2 FEA	BHR2 SPR	6th place	27 points

Full GP2 Series standings

(key) (Pole positions are shown in bold; fastest laps appear in italics)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	Final Position	Total Points
2009	ART Grand Prix	ESP FEA 9	ESP SPR 14	MON FEA 5	MON SPR 3	TUR FEA 5	TUR SPR 4	GBR FEA 3	GBR SPR 5	GER FEA 1	GER SPR 1	HUN FEA 1	HUN SPR 7	VAL FEA 2	VAL SPR 1	BEL FEA 2	BEL SPR Ret	ITA FEA 6	ITA SPR 3	POR FEA 1	POR SPR 16	Champion	100

Complete Formula One Results

(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions; those in italics signify fastest laps)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	WDC	Points
Template:F1	AT&T Williams	Williams FW32	Cosworth CA2010 2.4 V8	BHR 14	AUS Ret	MAL 10	CHN 15	ESP 16	MON Ret	TUR 17	CAN 13	EUR Ret	GBR 10	GER 13	HUN 6	BEL 14	ITA 7	SIN 10	JPN Ret	KOR 10	BRA 8	ABU 16						14th	22
MoneyGram Haas F1 Team	Haas VF-24	Ferrari 066/10 1.6 V6 t	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024	Template:F1R2024 │ HUL │ WDC	Template:F1R2024 │ HUL │ points2

Driver did not complete the race but was classified after covering more than 90% of the distance.

The season remains ongoing.

24 Hours of Le Mans performance

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Pos.	Class Ranking
2015	Germany Porsche Team	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Nick Tandy Template:Country data NZL Template:Namespace detect showall Earl Bamber	Porsche 919 Hybrid	LMP1	395	1st	1st

Full FIA World Endurance Championship standings

Year	Team	Category	Chassis	Engine	1st Race	2nd Race	3rd Race	4th Race	5th Race	6th Race	7th Race	8th Race	Final Position	Total Points
2015	Porsche Team	LMP1	Porsche 919 Hybrid	Porsche 2.0 L Turbo V4 (Hybrid)	SIL	SPA 6	LMS 1	NÜR	COA	FUJ	SHA	BHR	9th	58

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