Nico Hulkenberg on the podium: a fairytale becomes reality after 239 Grands Prix
The German driver secured third place with a flawless performance at Silverstone, starting from a distant 19th position on the grid. Nico Hulkenberg executed a near-perfect race, and the Swiss team made all the right strategic calls. Thanks to this remarkable result, Sauber has now climbed to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship, while Hulkenberg himself has jumped up to ninth place in the Drivers’ Standings. Just when it seemed like the opportunity had long passed, the long-awaited satisfaction finally arrived.
Never say never. Five years ago, Nico Hulkenberg’s Formula 1 career was hanging by a thread. He was driving only on call, filling in when teams needed a substitute. At the 2020 British Grand Prix, held at Silverstone, he was called up at the very last minute by Racing Point (now known as Aston Martin) to replace Sergio Perez, who had tested positive for COVID-19. Despite the lack of preparation, Hulkenberg managed to qualify in an impressive third place, and although a less-than-ideal strategy prevented a stronger result, he still finished the race in seventh.
He was called in again at the Nürburgring, this time to replace Lance Stroll, and made two more starts in the 2021 season when Sebastian Vettel was sidelined. At that point, it seemed like his time in Formula 1 had come to an end. Even Nico himself struggled to keep believing after spending two full seasons without a race seat. He was ready to turn the page, labelled as one of F1’s nearly-men—a talented driver who had shown promise since his debut in 2010 but had never fully capitalised on it. Then came the unexpected call from Haas, which led to his full-time return, and eventually the chance to join Sauber in the lead-up to the Audi project.
For years, Hulkenberg had been known as “the driver without a podium.” He had started 238 Grands Prix without ever finishing in the top three—a record that felt like a curse. There were moments in his career when a podium seemed within reach, but something always went wrong. A poor decision, a critical mistake, or sheer bad luck always seemed to get in the way. But at Silverstone, everything finally came together, just when it appeared most unlikely.
Starting from 19th in qualifying, the race looked like another forgettable outing. But about an hour before lights out, rain began to fall over the Silverstone circuit. Hulkenberg and the Sauber strategists responded flawlessly, making every crucial decision with expert timing. The first smart call came at the start, when they avoided opting for slick tyres. The second key move was switching from the heavily worn initial set of intermediate tyres to a fresh set earlier than the competition. Finally, the team made a perfectly timed call to switch to soft slicks in the final phase of the race.
“In just a lap or two, the sky went from relatively clear to completely dark,” said Hulkenberg as he recounted the early stages of the race. “I was losing ground and really struggling with the first set of inters. The team told me the rain was coming, so I boxed, and as I rejoined the track, it started to rain. The timing was absolutely perfect. But really, every single stop we made today was spot on. We executed every pit stop at the perfect time, which is incredibly hard to do. The team was flawless.”
The strategic brilliance laid the foundation, but it was Hulkenberg’s skill and composure that sealed the result. With around 20 laps remaining, Lewis Hamilton in his Ferrari appeared in Nico’s mirrors. At that point, it seemed like another missed opportunity was looming.
“I feared the worst,” Hulkenberg admitted. “But then I managed to hold Lewis off and even opened up a small gap before the final stop. We made the right decision to pit one lap later than Hamilton to switch to slicks, and that gave us about a seven-second advantage, which proved to be crucial. From then on, it was just about staying calm and focused for the final ten, eleven, maybe twelve laps—I’m not even sure anymore. But I knew we had everything we needed to make it happen.”
While Hamilton made two small but costly errors in the closing laps, Hulkenberg delivered a flawless drive—and that was the decisive factor. It was a feel-good story that quickly won over the Silverstone crowd. The chant of “Nico, Nico” echoed under the podium, started by the Sauber team but soon picked up by fans all around the grandstands.
“It felt amazing,” said Hulkenberg. “I remembered what to do—hold the trophy, spray the champagne, all of that. I used to do it regularly in junior categories, but I’ve waited a long time for this in Formula 1. I feel so many emotions, so many people coming up to congratulate me. So much positivity. I’m happy, relieved. And as I said, I think I’ll enjoy this even more over the next few days.”
Beyond the emotional impact, this result has significant implications for the championship standings. Nico Hulkenberg is now ninth in the Drivers’ World Championship. Thanks to this outstanding performance, Sauber has risen to sixth place in the Constructors’ Championship.
After going seven consecutive races without scoring a single point, the Swiss outfit has now scored 35 of its 41 points in just the last four Grands Prix. It marks a dramatic turnaround for a team that, after the Monaco Grand Prix, was stuck at the bottom of the standings and seemed doomed to play a background role for the rest of the 2025 season. But once again—never say never.
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