Nico Hülkenberg made his Components 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 way of the sector, mastering each tough 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, stated this as he wound again to the pits: “Yep, I feel I’ll get myself banned for the 12 months if I say something right here. Thanks for the trouble. At the least Hülkenberg acquired a podium right here.”
As media classes started and groups launched post-race reviews, reward continued to pour in from throughout the paddock.
“Congratulations to Nico for his podium, it’s a terrific achievement for him and his workforce,” stated Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton, who put Hülkenberg underneath strain within the ultimate 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,” stated 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 consequence as we speak and well-earned in these troublesome circumstances,” stated Williams Staff Principal James Vowles.
“I’m very comfortable for Nico [Hülkenberg] to attain his first podium and I hope he enjoys the celebrations,” stated 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 driving 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 another time from final weekend,” stated Hülkenberg. “It’s fairly surreal, to be trustworthy. Unsure the way it all occurred, however clearly loopy circumstances, combined circumstances. It was a survival struggle for lots of the race. I feel we simply have been actually on it. The appropriate calls, the appropriate tires, on the proper second. Made no errors and, yeah, fairly unbelievable.”
That continued within the FIA Press Convention.
“So, yeah, every thing coming collectively, large reduction, very comfortable, very constructive day,” described Hülkenberg. “From an enormous low yesterday being virtually final, actually on the grid, to this result’s form 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 get pleasure from it and to have fun 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 find out how to do it. Used to do it loads within the junior stuff after which needed to look forward to it fairly a bit. But it surely simply occurred so fast, the race, and also you’re nonetheless processing that,” stated Hülkenberg. “Then so many feelings, so many individuals coming at you, a number of positivity, a number of congratulations. For the time being simply comfortable, relieved. However like I stated, it’s going to sink in additional over the subsequent few hours and the subsequent few days, and I feel 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 struggle, and a “severe competitor” as well. Together 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 consequence doable,” stated Hülkenberg. “However I really feel within the midfield struggle we’ve positively gained some momentum, and we’re a severe competitor there. That’s the place our struggle is, but it surely’s all the time about maximizing each race, each weekend, and simply attempting to do nicely.”
