Hulkenberg remains a 'silly season' contender, according to Schumacher.

      "It always somewhat relies on what transpires next."

      Nico Hulkenberg may find himself in a prominent position during a future round of Formula 1's driver 'silly season.' The 35-year-old German's F1 career appeared to be finished when he lost his Renault seat at the conclusion of 2019. He acted as a part-time substitute driver from 2020 to 2022 and made a full-time return with Haas in 2023 and 2024.

      While with Haas, Hulkenberg impressed Audi, the new owner of the Sauber team, which announced that the driver, who has yet to win a race, has signed a "multi-year contract." Currently, before the Audi rebranding, Sauber is positioned at the back of the grid, but Hulkenberg earned praise recently with a P5 finish in Barcelona. This achievement drew recognition throughout the pit lane, with Dr. Helmut Marko even acknowledging that Hulkenberg had once been considered for a Red Bull seat.

      Former F1 driver and fellow German Ralf Schumacher commented that Hulkenberg showed "super speed" during the Spanish Grand Prix. "Especially regarding Audi, it indicates they at least have a direction for developing the new car for 2026," he told Sky Deutschland. Schumacher also believes that Hulkenberg could still play a role in the upcoming rounds of Formula 1's ongoing and infamous driver transfer 'silly season.'

      "It always somewhat relies on what occurs next. What will happen with these rookies? Will they all remain in their current positions? What’s Flavio Briatore planning? Although I suspect he’s probably searching for someone younger," the German said. Schumacher added, "However, the dynamics of the driver market can be tricky to understand. If he continues to produce results like this, he will undoubtedly remain for a while. He still possesses the speed."