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Nico Hulkenberg is leaving Haas to get behind the wheel with Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, both Formula One teams announced Friday.

The 36-year-old German driver with more than 200 F1 races under his belt signed a multi-year contract starting in 2025.

Following a three-year absence from the sport, Hulkenberg joined Haas last year and currently sits 13th in the driver’s standings with three top-10 finishes through five races in 2024.

Haas, who previously raced for Sauber in 2013, will be part of the organization’s new Audi team when it debuts in 2026.

“We are very pleased to welcome Nico back here,” Sauber Motorsport AG CEO Andreas Seidl said. “… With his speed, his experience and his commitment to teamwork, he will be an important part of the transformation of our team — and of Audi’s F1 project.”

Hulkenberg’s current employer, Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu, wished him luck with the move.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to Nico for his contributions to the team in the time that he’s been here with us — he’s been a great team player and someone we very much enjoy working with,” Komatsu said. “His experience and feedback have proved invaluable to us in terms of improving our overall performance — a fact that’s clearly evident in both his qualifying and race performances in the VF-24 this season.

“There’s lots more racing to go this year so we look forward to continuing to benefit from his inputs throughout the remainder of the 2024 season.”

Hulkenberg, the 2015 winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, began his F1 career in 2010 racing for Williams. He is still looking for his first podium finish in F1.

–Field Level Media