Nico Hulkenberg will leave Haas at the end of the Formula 1 season after an impressive year for the American team.
The German driver has pushed the team forward after a difficult season last year to compete for sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
Haas sit seventh in the championship and need to overturn Alpine’s five-point advantage in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at the Yas Marina Circuit.
The duel for sixth in the standings is likely to be between Haas and Alpine, although RB have a small chance of taking the position but need luck to intervene.
Hulkenberg performed admirably in qualifying at the Yas Marina Circuit to take fourth place, a long way ahead of his teammate Kevin Magnussen. Although a three-place grid penalty will see the German start the race from seventh on the grid.
Nico Rosberg explained that Hulkenberg drove well and why he felt the German put in an extra special performance to, initially, put his car on the second row of the grid.
Nico Rosberg feels Nico Hulkenberg’s Abu Dhabi GP qualifying was ‘genius’ to beat Max Verstappen
Hulkenberg put in an excellent lap to set the fourth-fastest time in Q3, which may have been a critical step in the right direction in Haas’ battle for sixth in the championship.
The 2025 Sauber driver made very few errors over the one-hour session and put in a very good lap when it mattered most to get ahead of drivers’ champion Max Verstappen.
Hulkenberg will be moving to Sauber next season to lead the team alongside Gabriel Bortoleto, who is leading the championship in Formula 2, and will be hoping to leave Haas with a good result.
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The 2016 Formula 1 world champion Rosberg was impressed with Hulkenberg, who has been performing well throughout the season over a single lap.
Rosberg said on Sky Sports F1 (7/12, 15:32): “I think we need to big this up a bit more. I mean, that was like genius out there to be in a Haas and out-qualify Max Verstappen in the Red Bull who had two attempts.
“This was genius. And he’s been producing this so many times this year, but this was his best. So, so special with that car. Really, really unreal.”
Alpine and Haas were both very competitive in qualifying
Haas were very fast at the Yas Marina Circuit, with Hulkenberg setting the fourth fastest lap time in qualifying, but their championship rivals Alpine were also quick.
The French team also broke into the top 10 with Pierre Gasly, who was due to start directly behind the Haas star on the grid but will move into fourth place with Hulkenberg’s penalty.
Alpine are at a slight disadvantage as Jack Doohan has been off the pace on his debut and qualified at the back of the field.
The Alpine team may have had concerns about Esteban Ocon, who is moving to Haas, and he was replaced by Doohan ahead of the weekend in Abu Dhabi.
