F1 driver issues come and get me plea to RIVAL team

Nico Hulkenberg has admitted he is interested in joining Audi's Formula 1 project despite pledging his future to Haas for next season.

Audi will make their eagerly-anticipated entrance into the sport under new regulations in 2026 and work is already underway on their power unit in Bavaria.

A deal has been struck for the organisation to take over the Sauber works team, currently branded as Alfa Romeo, within the next three years.

Preparations are now in full swing, with Andreas Seidl stepping away from McLaren to become Audi's CEO and Neel Jani joining as a simulator driver.

However, it is not yet clear who will make up their senior line-up, though Hulkenberg has conceded he would be tempted by the move.

READ MORE: Sauber chief gives highly anticipated update on Audi F1 team as Ferrari drivers linked

Nationality not a priority

"It's definitely one of the very attractive projects right now and prospects for a new brand coming into F1," he told the Beyond the Grid podcast.

"It's very exciting, a German manufacturer as well. They are people that I've worked with and done really well with before.

"It all sounds really nice and good on paper. Obviously, I need to put in the good work, keep driving convincing drives to maybe have a shot there."

Adam Baker, CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH, has suggested that driver nationality will not be a priority when filling their seats, however.

"With the first race being three years away, it's too early to talk seriously about drivers," he told PlanetF1. "But the interest in that topic is obviously there.

"But any decision that does get made for race drivers will be made primarily based on performance. That’s the highest priority."

READ MORE: Zhou admits F1 future DOUBTS amid Audi entry

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