British GP
Nico Hulkenberg Ends F1’s Longest Podium Drought with Stunning Drive at British Grand Prix
After 239 races and over 15 years of heartbreak, near-misses, and what-ifs, Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg has finally erased Formula 1’s most painful statistic. The 37-year-old German driver stunned fans and pundits alike by clinching a sensational third place at the rain-soaked British Grand Prix (British GP)— his first-ever F1 podium.
Nico Hulkenberg’s drought was the longest in the sport’s history, earning him the dubious distinction of being the most experienced driver never to stand on the podium. That narrative came to a fairytale end at Silverstone as Nico Hulkenberg drove his Sauber through chaos, downpours, and pit strategy madness to secure a result that was as emotional as it was overdue. “I don’t think I can comprehend what we’ve just done… oh my God!” Nico Hulkenberg radioed after crossing the line.
Starting from a lowly 19th on the grid, Nico Hulkenberg’s podium race seemed destined to follow a familiar script. But a masterfully timed switch to intermediate tyres during a sudden downpour catapulted him up the order. With unshakable composure, he fended off a charging Lewis Hamilton in a Ferrari to hold third place — and this time, he didn’t crack under pressure. “It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” he said post-race. “But I always knew we had it in us. Somewhere inside, I never gave up.”
The wet-dry-wet conditions turned the British GP into a strategic chess match. Hulkenberg and his team nailed every call, including an early second set of intermediates just before a safety car — the move that ultimately vaulted him into podium contention.
View this post on Instagram
This wasn’t just redemption for Hulkenberg — it was vindication. Long mocked for never converting promises into results, the German had finished between fourth and eleventh an astonishing 120 times. Often in uncompetitive machinery or struck by sheer bad luck, podiums slipped away by margins, like Monaco 2016 or Brazil 2012. “It was a survival fight for a lot of the race,” he added. “But we made no mistakes — quite incredible.”
His Sauber teammate Gabriel Bortoleto summed it up perfectly over team radio: “Nico, man, you don’t know how happy I am for you! You’re a f—ing legend!”
The Silverstone result also marks Sauber’s first podium since 2012 and boosts the team to sixth in the Constructors’ standings — a crucial turnaround ahead of their complete transformation into Audi’s works team next season. Nico Hulkenberg, now confirmed as Audi’s lead driver, proved beyond doubt that he still belongs in the sport’s elite tier.
As Max Verstappen, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri continue their title fight, F1’s biggest story this weekend was not about points or penalties — it was about perseverance.
Pingback: Audi’s F1 Era Has Begun and Nico Hulkenberg Made History