Nico Hülkenberg made his System 1 debut on the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix for Williams, the primary race of the 2010 marketing campaign. Since then he has pushed for a number of F1 groups, taken a step away from the game, received the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and returned to drive for each Haas and now Sauber. However over 238 F1 begins he had by no means stepped on a podium.
Till as we speak.
Regardless of lining up nineteenth on the British Grand Prix, his 239th F1 begin, Hülkenberg carved his method by the sector, mastering each difficult circumstances and the majority of the grid, to complete third for his maiden F1 podium. And because the 37-year-old veteran celebrated, reward poured in all through the paddock for his first podium.
That reward started even because the drivers have been working again to pit lane on the cooldown lap. Oscar Piastri, who felt robbed of a win after race officers handed down a ten-second penalty, mentioned this as he wound again to the pits: “Yep, I believe I’ll get myself banned for the yr if I say something right here. Thanks for the hassle. Not less than Hülkenberg acquired a podium right here.”
As media periods started and groups launched post-race stories, reward continued to pour in from throughout the paddock.
“Congratulations to Nico for his podium, it’s an amazing achievement for him and his workforce,” mentioned Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton, who put Hülkenberg below stress within the remaining phases of the British Grand Prix for that final podium spot, additionally paid tribute to the veteran driver. “Third place felt inside attain at occasions however credit score to Nico on his first podium, he drove a powerful race,” mentioned Hamilton in Ferrari’s post-race report.
“Lastly, congratulations to Nico on his first podium. Given his undoubted expertise, he deserves it,” added Ferrari boss Frederic Vasseur.
“Firstly, congratulations to Sauber and to Nico – a rare end result as we speak and well-earned in these tough circumstances,” mentioned Williams Workforce Principal James Vowles.
“I’m very completely happy for Nico [Hülkenberg] to attain his first podium and I hope he enjoys the celebrations,” mentioned fellow veteran Fernando Alonso.
Different drivers and groups took to social media with their reward, starting with Max Verstappen:
There was even a present of champagne, courtesy of Mercedes:
Ready for the motive force, along with the champagne, was rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto:
For his half, Hülkenberg started his post-race feedback by noting that he had a podium “in me someplace” with Jenson Button trackside.
“It’s been a very long time coming, hasn’t it? However, yeah, I all the time knew we now have it in us, I had it in me someplace. So what a race, coming from nearly final, doing it over again from final weekend,” mentioned Hülkenberg. “It’s fairly surreal, to be sincere. Undecided the way it all occurred, however clearly loopy circumstances, combined circumstances. It was a survival combat for lots of the race. I believe we simply have been actually on it. The best calls, the best tires, on the proper second. Made no errors and, yeah, fairly unimaginable.”
That continued within the FIA Press Convention.
“So, yeah, every thing coming collectively, massive aid, very completely happy, very optimistic day,” described Hülkenberg. “From a large low yesterday being virtually final, actually on the grid, to this result’s sort of surreal. It’s going to take a couple of days to course of every thing and take all of it in. Excellent news is we now have two weeks now to take pleasure in it and to have a good time it correctly over the subsequent week earlier than we go once more.”
Requested concerning the celebrations on the rostrum — and the ten years it had been since he was final on one, which got here in Le Mans in 2015 — Hülkenberg relayed that he was nonetheless “processing” the celebration.
“Felt good. I nonetheless remembered methods to do it. Used to do it loads within the junior stuff after which needed to anticipate it fairly a bit. But it surely simply occurred so fast, the race, and also you’re nonetheless processing that,” mentioned Hülkenberg. “Then so many feelings, so many individuals coming at you, plenty of positivity, plenty of congratulations. In the intervening time simply completely happy, relieved. However like I mentioned, it’s going to sink in additional over the subsequent few hours and the subsequent few days, and I believe I’ll really feel the enjoyment much more within the week to come back.”
As for what is feasible for him and Sauber this season, Hülkenberg famous that the workforce is now within the midfield combat, and a “severe competitor” besides. Along with his podium, Sauber rose to sixth within the F1 Constructors’ Championship standings with 41 factors, 5 forward of seventh-place Visa Money App Racing Bulls and 18 behind Williams.
“While we’ve made some actually good enhancements since Barcelona, as we speak is clearly circumstantial, and the circumstances made this race and this end result potential,” mentioned Hülkenberg. “However I really feel within the midfield combat we’ve positively gained some momentum, and we’re a severe competitor there. That’s the place our combat is, however it’s all the time about maximizing each race, each weekend, and simply attempting to do properly.”
