Nico Hulkenberg has declared that he remains "completely neutral" regarding whether Audi-owned Sauber should select Mick Schumacher as his teammate for 2025.
After the most recent Grand Prix in Singapore, insiders believed that Valtteri Bottas was on the verge of being re-signed by the team. However, Roger Benoit, veteran correspondent for Blick, suggests that the 34-year-old Finn is now reconsidering a one-year contract offer.
"What seemed to be just a formality is now Bottas wanting more after three years of being rewarded with millions," Benoit reported. "How long can he continue to gamble, having not scored any points in 28 races? Indycar would be a step down and they certainly wouldn't allow him to set up a gin shop in the paddock."
According to the major German newspaper Bild, Bottas is stalling over the terms of his 2025 Sauber deal. "According to our information, Mick was no longer part of new team boss Mattia Binotto's plans. Valtteri Bottas was supposed to be staying for another year. The contract had already been prepared," wrote correspondents Claudia Bothmann, Enrico Ahlig, and Michel Milewski.
"But Bottas is gambling for too much money. If the veteran sticks to his high demands, Mick Schumacher could be back in the game," they added.
Binotto revealed earlier this week that Schumacher is "definitely" a consideration for 2025, having met with the 25-year-old former Haas driver recently. In a conversation with FAZ newspaper, Binotto responded to claims that Schumacher might not be the fastest driver in the F1 paddock. "On some tracks he needs a few more attempts to set the fastest lap," Binotto admitted. "But you have to judge a driver not only by how fast they are, but also by their attitude."
Hulkenberg, 37, was confirmed as an Audi-Sauber driver for 2025 earlier this year. Should Schumacher join, it would create an all-German driver lineup.
"The Audi factory team will probably fuel a little interest in Germany again," Hulkenberg told Sport1. "German manufacturer, German driver, and of course a German GP would be desirable for a car nation."
However, when asked if he had a preference between Bottas and Schumacher as a teammate, Hulkenberg said, "I have no agenda—I am completely neutral. Firstly, I have no say in the matter, and secondly, the people in charge at Audi will decide which driver duo will deliver the best performance. I will not interfere with that."
For now, Hulkenberg says his primary focus remains on his current team. "There's not much I can do at the moment," he said. "There's not much I can influence that much and it's not my job. I'm still 100 percent at Haas and want to end this chapter as successfully and as positively as possible. So all my energy and focus is on Haas."
