Oct.15 (GMM) Nico Hulkenberg says he’s staying “utterly impartial” about whether or not Audi-owned Sauber ought to join Mick Schumacher for 2025.
Insiders left Singapore after the latest grand prix satisfied that Valtteri Bottas was about to be re-signed.
However Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for Blick newspaper, says the 34-year-old Finn is now hesitating to just accept a proposal of a mere one-year contract.
“What appeared to be only a formality is now Bottas wanting extra after three years of being rewarded with tens of millions,” he mentioned.
“How lengthy can he proceed to gamble, having not scored any factors in 28 races? Indycar could be a step down they usually actually wouldn’t enable him to arrange a gin store within the paddock.”
The key German newspaper Bild additionally suspects Bottas is dithering over the phrases of his proposed 2025 Sauber deal.
“In accordance with our data, Mick was now not a part of new crew boss Mattia Binotto’s plans. Valtteri Bottas was speculated to be staying for an additional yr. The contract had already been ready,” mentioned correspondents Claudia Bothmann, Enrico Ahlig and Michel Milewski.
“However Bottas is playing for an excessive amount of cash,” they added. “If the veteran sticks to his excessive calls for, Mick Schumacher may very well be again within the sport.”
Binotto revealed this week that Schumacher is “positively” an possibility for 2025, and that he has met with the 25-year-old former Haas driver just lately.
In dialog with FAZ newspaper, he responded to claims that Schumacher is maybe not the quickest driver within the Formulation 1 paddock.
“On some tracks he wants just a few extra makes an attempt to set the quickest lap,” Binotto admitted. “However you need to decide a driver not solely by how briskly they’re, but in addition by their angle.”
Present Haas driver Hulkenberg, 37, was signed up by Audi-Sauber for 2025 and past method again in April. Schumacher as his teammate would full a tempting all-German driver lineup.
“The Audi manufacturing unit crew will in all probability gas just a little curiosity in Germany once more,” Hulkenberg informed Sport1. “German producer, German driver, and naturally a German GP could be fascinating for a automobile nation.”
Nonetheless, he was not ready to say if he would like Bottas or Schumacher as his 2025 teammate.
“I’ve no agenda – I’m utterly impartial,” the German insists. “Firstly, I’ve no say within the matter, and secondly, the folks in cost at Audi will resolve which driver duo will ship the perfect efficiency. I cannot intervene with that.”
Hulkenberg defined that he’s not pondering very a lot about his 2025 mission in any respect simply but.
“There’s not a lot I can do in the intervening time,” he mentioned. “There’s not a lot I can affect that a lot and it’s not my job. I’m nonetheless 100% at Haas and need to finish this chapter as efficiently and as positively as doable. So all my power and focus is on Haas.”
