Shortly before the season finale at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP, Nico Hülkenberg reflected on hitting an extraordinary career milestone: his 250th Grand Prix start. The German driver, who made his debut with Williams in Bahrain in 2010, admitted in a print media session he doesn’t remember his first race super well, but he is “happy to be still around, living the dream and enjoying myself.”
Reflecting on Career Longevity
Hülkenberg unveiled a special helmet design at the F1 Abu Dhabi GP for his 250th Grand Prix, featuring a striking Gladiator theme.
He explained that the imagery was symbolic for the mental strength demanded by the sport: “Well, I think it just, resembles a little bit [of] what you need here in the sport. Resilience, fighting spirit, endurance, all these kind of attributes that I think were and are needed to survive for that long in this industry.”
After his debut in 2010, Hülkenberg took a break after the 2019 season, before making a successful return in 2023 in the Haas F1 Team. He did make brief but impressive substitute appearances in 2020 and 2022.
The veteran reflected on his journey and explained that he didn’t actively think too much about the future and getting this far. He stated: “It just evolved and kind of happened.”
Hülkenberg honouring the Legacy of Kick Sauber
The German addressed the historic transition from Sauber for the next season and stressed the importance of acknowledging the team’s long, diverse history as a private team through various eras of Formula 1 over the last 30 years.
“I think you need to acknowledge that [history] and give them huge credit and respect for them and what they’ve achieved and survived.”
After over 30 years, Sauber is transitioning into the Audi F1 team for the 2026 season. The new factory will keep Nico Hülkenberg as a confirmed lead driver and his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto.
After driving for Sauber for the first time in 2013 and rejoining for the 2025 season he stated that it is sad that the name is disappearing, but also “nothing usually in this world is forever” and they’ll leave a legacy behind.
