Asked about Seidl’s influence, Hulkenberg said: “He’s the driving factor there, one of the deciders, one of the top, key people in the management at Audi. Of course, it came through him, and he’s a very direct and straightforward guy with me.”
At this point, Hulkenberg recalled a conversation with Seidl several years ago, when he was looking for his next opportunity after being replaced by Esteban Ocon at the works Renault team (now Alpine) at the end of the 2019 campaign.
READ MORE: Hulkenberg ‘very excited’ by Audi project as he sees opportunity for manufacturer to be competitive ‘straight away’
“I remember in 2020, before the season had started, and I was not sure what I wanted to do,” Hulkenberg continued. “I phoned him up, and he was at McLaren at the time. I was like, ‘Is there maybe a chance for me?’, and he was like a straight, ‘No, don’t even get your hopes up, it’s not going to happen’.
“This time around [with the Audi project], a few years later, it was very different, and he was very keen to sign and to have me.”
News Summary:
- Nico Hulkenberg says Andreas Seidl the ‘driving factor’ in new Sauber deal as he reveals previous McLaren conversation
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