$10 million worth F1 driver outlines how Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu "fought" and "gave everything" to sign him
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg recently revealed how hard team principal Ayao Komatsu tried to keep him. After the 2024 F1 season, Hulkenberg will join Sauber, which will eventually turn into Audi in 2026.
Back in 2022, Audi announced that they would join F1 in 2026 by acquiring the Sauber F1 team. As soon as this announcement was made, rumors emerged that Audi could sign Hulkenberg, who has a net worth of $10,000,000 (as per Celebrity Net Worth), for their future lineup.
Amid all the rumors, Hulkenberg quietly raced for Haas in 2022 and 2023. In April 2024, however, it was officially announced that he would leave the Kannapolis-based team in 2025. It is yet to be confirmed which of the two existing drivers in Sauber would be replacing.
Speaking to Autosport, Hulkenberg explained Komatsu fought hard to keep him in the team. He admitted that the decision to join Audi was not straightforward for him, since he appreciates the American team for bringing him back to F1.
The German driver concluded that despite Komatsu's efforts, he found Audi to be a step up for his career.
"Up until the announcement, it was great working with him. Also in terms of coordination. I spoke to him openly about it a few weeks ago, that there was a good dynamic and that a decision would probably be made sooner rather than later," Nico Hulkenberg said.
"He fought, he gave everything. The decision wasn't a no-brainer for me. I've already given it some thought. Haas is the team that made my comeback possible. But at the end of the day, the better sporting prospect for me personally is simply with Audi," he added.
Nico Hulkenberg praises Ayao Komatsu for handling the sudden responsibility of becoming Haas team boss
After Guenther Steiner's exit, Ayao Komatsu took over the hotseat as the team boss at Haas, with the announcement arriving just before the start of the 2024 season.
Despite the immediate pressure placed on the ex-trackside engineer director, Nico Hulkenberg feels Komatsu has done a good job. Speaking to Autosport, he said:
"He's doing well. He was really thrown in at the deep end as the new team boss at the beginning of the year. Out of nowhere. In February, he had a driver's contract in his hands for the first time in his life. That's also special, and there are a few things you have to know and see first."
Haas is currently seventh in the 2024 F1 constructors' championship with seven points.