What Hülkenberg Did to Get His First F1 Podium
Nico Hülkenberg pulled off one of the most incredible drives of his career at the 2025 British Grand Prix, climbing from P19 to a stunning P3 in perfect chaos. Silverstone delivered rain, safety cars, spins, and strategy calls, but Hülkenberg stayed cool, confident, and consistent throughout. His podium finish was not just a culmination of racecraft; it was the end of a 239-race wait for a top-three result. For Sauber, now branded Kick Sauber before Audi’s takeover, this podium marks their first since 2012 and comes from a driver once considered finished in F1. Hülkenberg showed what experience, patience, and smart decision-making can do in Formula 1.
Hülkenberg began the race strong, moving up to P14 early after five cars pitted at the end of the formation lap. When Liam Lawson and Esteban Ocon collided on lap one, he gained two more positions, then with a well-timed overtake of Lance Stroll at turn six, climbed to P11 by the end of the first lap. Just two laps later, under Virtual Safety Car conditions, he gained another position as Kimi Antonelli gambled for slick tires. He found himself in the top ten, a strong start, made sweeter by the slippery conditions that erased qualifying mistakes. Hülkenberg pitted on lap ten for Intermediates and dropped back to P15, When a shower began on lap eleven, George Russell, Charles Leclerc, and Isack Hadjar pitted, Hülkenberg cycled back to P12. On lap 12, Lewis Hamilton, Pierre Gasly, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, and Yuki Tsunoda pitted, and Hülkenberg moved up to P7 by just pitting two laps early. Then a bold overtake on Ocon at lap thirteen took him to P6, and with Alex Albon’s pit stop shortly after, he was P5, a remarkable leap in just hours of changing conditions.
The heavy rain by lap fourteen brought out the safety car, helping Hülkenberg hold position through the restart on lap 18. Then, a second safety car came again when Hadjar crashed, which delayed racing a bit more. Then the restart on lap 21 triggered chaos: Oscar Piastri braked erratically under the safety car, forcing Max Verstappen to lose his rhythm and turn into a spin. Hülkenberg sliced past and took P4. As the track dried and at the very first moment DRS came online on lap 34, Hülkenberg overtook Stroll into Stowe to grab P3 with Hamilton looming behind. From laps 35 to 40, he kept Hamilton behind, holding a solid one-point-five-second gap. Hamilton pitted on lap 42, tried to undercut, but with a disaster out lap. Hülkenberg pitted the next lap and emerged nine seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver, a gap helped him easily maintain the lead until the finish line,
When the checkered flag dropped at lap 52, Hülkenberg secured his first F1 podium in his 239th start and scored a sensational P3 for Kick Sauber. The achievement also marks Sauber’s first podium since 2012 and is a testament to Hülkenberg’s resilience, years of top-tier racing without a single top-three finish. Sauber principal Jonathan Wheatley called his drive “one of the best I’ve ever seen”. After 15 years in the sport, eight team changes, and losing his job twice, he showed why he’s one of the most underrated talents on the grid. This podium isn’t just emotional; it proves experience still wins races. Now, having broken the most stubborn F1 record, Hülkenberg cements himself not just as a racer but as a true legend of resilience, and you couldn’t find a more touching story than this in the Formula 1 world.
