This weekend at the British Grand Prix, veteran racer Nico Hulkenberg took his first podium finish; a result that’s been 15 years in the making.
Dubbed the ‘Hulk’ by German media, he was hailed as the next Michael Schumacher when he arrived in F1 back in 2010. Hulkenberg won the A1GP Series in 2006, Masters of Formula 3 in 2007, Formula 3 Euro Series in 2008, and the GP2 Championship in 2009. By the time he signed for Williams F1 in 2010, Nico had won championships on every step of the racing ladder, and looked destined for greatness.
But his F1 has not been as acclaimed. Never getting a seat at a ‘top team’ Nico came close to podiums but never closed the deal. He proved that he’s still got talent by winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 with Porsche in a one-off drive, and has been signed by new Audi F1 Team for 2026 and beyond.
But sadly, an F1 podium eluded Hulkenberg and he held the unenviable record of the most F1 races ever without a podium finish. But in his 239th race, at the 2025 British Grand Prix, Nico Hulkenberg brought home a P3 finish for his Sauber team to the delight of race fans and on-track rivals.
It was an inspired drive by the Hulk as he kept his cool while those around him lost theirs amongst changing conditions. A well deserved podium.
Wow, I am so happy for Nico, just like the whole Formula One circus.
Everybody seems thrilled for his podium. Mercedes-Benz and Aston Martin even sent bottles of champagne to the Sauber team as a celebration gift.
https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/mercedes-delivers-gift-to-sauber-after-nico-hulkenbergs-maiden-f1-podium-at-silverstone/10740109/
Gosh that’s so funny. The Sauber team is so certain that they won’t win (or even have anything to celebrate) that they didn’t have bottles ready. The big teams already had champagne on ice.
.
I’m happy for Nico too. It’s the feel-good story of the season.