Why Sauber won't let Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto test its 2026 car yet

Sauber sporting director Inaki Rueda explains why the team is holding off on letting Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto try the 2026 C46 in the simulator

Sauber Formula 1 sporting director Inaki Rueda has explained why the Swiss-based team does not want to let drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto test the 2026 car in the simulator yet.

The 2026 F1 season will introduce a new wave of regulations consisting of lighter cars with a 50/50 split between sustainable fuel internal combustion and a more powerful electrical component. The cars will also see DRS replaced by active aerodynamics and a power boost, among several other changes.

While other drivers have been getting behind the wheel of their respective 2026 cars in the simulator, Hulkenberg confirmed to Motorsport.com and other media that he is yet to test the upcoming car.

"Soon, soon. I think it's still all evolving quite a lot and quickly, so they don't want to give a false impression and false reference," the German driver explained when asked when he will get in the simulator. "That's why I think we're still holding back a little bit at the moment."

Rueda clarified the position of the team and why Sauber feels it is important to wait.

"So there's two things, it's very important," he explained. "One is, with the calendar, how it is, it's very difficult to get the drivers enough sim time.

"Let's put it this way, before a race, you would like to have a race driver in the sim a whole day. So, for example, Nico was in last Friday, and Gabi was in this Monday, and they were running Zandvoort and Monza.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images

"So they already had to split one day for two circuits. So if you start looking at the calendar, you start looking for slots, so where can the driver come in? It's really difficult to solve.

"Then, on top of that, you say, OK, I want to start trying the C46, our next year's car. When do I find a slot for this? And it starts becoming really challenging. So that's the logistics side.

"Then more of a technical side is, how realistic is our C46 model today? Why? Because it's still developing, and because the regulations are new, it's developing at a big rate.

"I know the date, I'm not free to disclose. I know the date we're going to start exposing the drivers to the C46 car, but you don't want to do it too early with the fear that the car that you're going to show to them is still very different to what they will actually drive, you see what I mean?

"So we do have it in the program for them to try the C46 car, but that's why it's not so early."