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Nico Hulkenberg drives for KICK Sauber during the 2025 F1 British Grand Prix.
(Photo: KICK Sauber/Getty Images)

At Long Last, Nico Hulkenberg Scores a F1 Podium at Silverstone

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In 238 Formula One starts dating back to 2010, Nico Hulkenberg has been on a journey just stand on the podium of a F1 event.

He’s come close in three separate occasions, once in South Korea in 2013 with the same team he races for now, Kick Sauber F1 Team (formerly just Sauber) and two at Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium in 2012 and 2016.

Consistently fighting in the mid-field throughout the 2025 season, no one could have imagined that the 37-year-old German would score his first podium on a rainy Sunday (July 6) afternoon at Silverstone Circuit.

Hulkenberg entered Silverstone having scored points four times this season, including the last three consecutive races. His best finish prior to Sunday had been fifth in Spain.

Starting in 19th and last on the grid with Franco Colapinto failing to make the grid after a mechanical failure, continuing that streak alone would be a massive undertaking.

But there’s a reason why both drivers and fans call rain the great equalizer.

Rain started to pour on the track, and as pit stops cycled around the field, Hulkenberg found himself fifth behind Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll.

As a safety car deployed for the wet conditions and yet another for a two-car incident between Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar, The final restart of the race would see polesitter and four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen make a critical error, spinning from second once the green flag waved.

Now in the same position as he’d been in time and time again in his career, “The Hulk” needed to just get passed the slower Stroll during the race.

In the wet conditions, The lime green Kick Sauber couldn’t find the pace to get around the slow-moving Aston Martin, that was until Hulkenberg heard the familiar tone of DRS being enabled on Lap 35.

Quickly Hulkenberg made quick work once the rear wing opened and started to gap Stroll.

However, the defending winner of the British Grand Prix would make Hulkenberg earn his podium.

Lewis Hamilton, charging through the field, flew past Stroll in his Ferrari and chased the No. 27 Sauber, powered by the same Ferrari engine. At times, he was able to get close enough to get DRS.

As the track dried, Hulkenberg was able to find pace on the green-walled intermediate tires and inside 10 laps to go, some drivers would start to pit for dry tires, including Hamilton.

Hamilton put on the softs, but made a massive error going off track and being trapped behind Ferrari teammate Charles LeClerc. Meanwhile, Hulkenberg pitted a lap later.

It wasn’t a perfect stop at over four seconds, but the error bought Hulkenberg plenty a gap on the Brit looking for his 13th podium in a row at his home grand prix.

Even posting the fastest lap at one point in the run, Hulkenberg flew away to finish third to the roar of the crowd cheering for both him and local race winner Lando Norris to close the chapter on his hunt for a podium step.

As he rounded back to the pit lane you could hear the emotion on his radio.

“I don’t think I can comprehend what we just done,” Hulkenberg said. “Oh my God.”

“Incredible man,” race engineer Steven Petrik said to Hulkenberg. “Enjoy it. You did an Absolutely fantastic job. I can’t believe it.”

Hulkenberg climbed out of his car after delivering Sauber’s first podium since Kamui Kobayashi‘s third prix at the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circut in 2012 to the embrace of his entire crew jumping up and down chanting, “Nico! Nico! Nico!”

“It’s been a long time coming hasn’t it,” Hulkenberg said to Sky Sports’ and F1 champion Jenson Button, “I always knew we had it in us, and I had it in me. What a race coming from virtually last weekend. It’s pretty surreal to be honest. [I’m] not sure how it all happened, but obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race. We were really on it with the right calls, the right tires at the right moments, made no mistakes. Quite incredible.”

Until the closing moments, Hulkenberg didn’t bank on it actually being the day that he would score his first podium with Hamilton pressuring behind, the same driver he passed late to finish fifth in Barcelona.

“I was in denial until the last pit stop, and then, I heard when I heard we gapped Lewis quite a bit with the one extra lap, I said, ‘OK, this is good. This is good breathing space.’ He was catching quite quickly. The pressure was there there. It was an intense race, but like I said, we didn’t crack, no mistakes, and I’m obviously really happy with that.”

While the crowd might have wished for a double British podium for Hamilton, Hulkenberg apologized to fans because today was his day to earn a F1 podium.

“He’s going to give it all here in front of his home crowd. Sorry guys, It’s also my day. I got to stick my neck out, and super happy. Thank you very much for the great energy and support here.”

Start No. 239 is where the Hulkenberg podium curse is finally put to bed at Great Britain with a incredible performance from the Formula veteran. What a drive Sunday by the German.

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Wyatt Watson has followed motorsports closely since 2007. He joined Frontstretch as a journalist in February 2023 after serving in the United States Navy for five years as an Electronic Technician Navigation working on submarines. Wyatt is one of Frontstretch's primary IndyCar correspondents, providing exclusive video content on site. He hosts Frontstretch's Through the Gears podcast and occasionally The Pit Straight.You can find Wyatt's written work in columns such as Friday Faceoff and 2-Headed Monsteras well as exclusive IndyCar features. Wyatt also contributes to Frontstretch's social media team, posting unique and engaging content for Frontstretch.

Wyatt Watson can be found on X @WyattWRacing