Hulkenberg: Deal good news for Sauber

Nico Hulkenberg sees Sauber’s new partnership with a trio of Russian backers as a huge positive for the team…

Nico Hulkenberg sees Sauber’s new partnership with a trio of Russian backers as a huge positive for the team.

Sauber announced the deal with three Russian companies earlier this week, a move it hopes will help secure its long-term future in Formula 1.

Hulkenberg has spoken recently of the difficult situations Sauber face on and off the track, admitting that he was openly considering his options for 2014.

But the news of the new backers, along with an upgrade package coming for Hungary that should deliver another step forward in performance, has given him hope that Sauber can weather the current storm.

“I think it is positive news for the team and it was needed,” said Hulkenberg.

“I didn’t have all the details about what was happening, and it was the management’s situation, but I knew that we didn’t have the budget like the top teams.

“Beyond that, I was here to do my job and I was concentrating on focusing on getting the best out of the package we have – and making the most of that.”

Top-10 finishes at both the British and German Grands Prix has seen Hulkenberg and Sauber end their recent points drought, and along with the raft of updates set to appear at the next race in Hungary, it has lifted the spirits of everyone at the team – even if the jury is still out on just what impact the updates will have.

“It is still a development race and we have these updates coming now for Budapest,” added the German.

“We need to wait and see how they impact, how they change the car and if they transform it into a much better car or not. That point is really difficult and hard for me to tell right now.”