Nico Hulkenberg expressed his astonishment upon discovering that Andreas Seidl had been dismissed by Audi.

Earlier in May, Hulkenberg acknowledged that his decision to leave Haas was primarily influenced by Seidl, his former sports car boss at Porsche, who was until now leading the new Sauber-Audi initiative.

"Those two were the ones I made the deal with, and the change at the top was unexpected," Hulkenberg remarked at Spa-Francorchamps, noting not only Seidl's but also Oliver Hoffman's departure.

"I was informed by Audi CEO Gernot Dollner himself on the day the whole thing was announced," the 36-year-old disclosed.

"It shows that the top boss is involved in the project and taking care of it. I'm not worried, but it was of course a bit of a shock."

"But now everyday life has returned and I'm still happy to be joining this project. Of course, it's a little sad that two people who were closely involved in my commitment are no longer here," he added.

"But for me the most important thing is that this project is successful."

Regarding the new arrival, former Ferrari chief Mattia Binotto, Hulkenberg admitted he only had superficial acquaintance with him "from the paddock."

"But that will change in a few months, as we know," he noted.

Despite the ongoing struggles of Sauber in 2024, being the only team without a point, Hulkenberg is hopeful. "With some positive input from their side and some things that I might bring as well, I believe that we can start to turn things around perhaps as early as next year," he said optimistically.

"I'm not saying a giant step, but only a small one is needed before you're back in the right part of the midfield."