Silverstone, England – For years, the name Nico Hülkenberg carried an unfortunate, albeit fascinating, asterisk in the annals of Formula 1 statistics. He was the man with the most race starts without ever standing on a podium. A driver widely respected for his raw talent, a winner of the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans on his first attempt, yet somehow, the stars had never aligned for a top-three finish in a Grand Prix. Until Sunday at the British Grand Prix.
On his 239th Formula 1 start, the German racer finally achieved what had become F1`s most talked-about statistical anomaly. The monkey wasn`t just off his back; it had seemingly packed its bags, booked a flight, and moved to a different continent entirely. The relief was palpable, not just for Hülkenberg, but for many throughout the paddock who had witnessed his talent often go unrewarded over a career spanning 15 years.
This wasn`t merely a personal triumph; it was a moment of disbelief and joy for the entire Sauber team. A squad that finished dead last in the constructors` championship the previous year without scoring a single point suddenly found themselves celebrating a podium – their first since 2012. The scene in the garage afterwards, with champagne flowing freely (some reportedly borrowed from neighboring teams), underscored just how improbable this result was for a team in transition towards becoming Audi in 2026.
Hülkenberg`s career has been a study in near misses and missed opportunities. There was Brazil in 2012, where while leading comfortably, he collided with Lewis Hamilton. Or Germany in 2019, where a strong run in challenging rain conditions ended abruptly with a slide into the barriers. Even strategic errors from teams seemed to conspire against him, like the pit stop timing at Monaco in 2016 that allowed his teammate Sergio Pérez to claim a podium he might otherwise have contended for. These moments fueled the narrative, painting him as F1`s nearly man, the perpetually talented driver for whom fortune never quite smiled in the crucial moments.
Yet, within the sport, Hülkenberg`s capabilities were rarely questioned. Ex-Red Bull sporting director and now Sauber boss, Jonathan Wheatley, lauded him as an “extraordinary talent,” expressing his disbelief that it took this long. Former teammate Carlos Sainz called him a “top-five driver” with “incredible race execution,” adding, perhaps with a touch of shared frustration, that he was glad Hülkenberg finally had this podium “to shut everyone up.” Two-time champion Fernando Alonso echoed the sentiment, noting that Hülkenberg was one of the best drivers who simply “never had the opportunity to have a proper car underneath him” consistently.
The record he now sheds belonged previously to Adrian Sutil, who finished his F1 career with 128 starts and zero podiums. Hülkenberg`s tally had stood at 238 before Sunday`s race, a gap so significant it amplified the sheer oddity of his drought. The memory of being asked about this unwanted record became a recurring theme, one Hülkenberg recently brushed off with characteristic German pragmatism, comparing it to a “cold cup of coffee.” Now, thankfully, that particular line of questioning is officially retired.
Sunday at Silverstone wasn`t just a race; it was a narrative finally reaching its overdue climax. A veteran driver, armed with skill and resilience, in an underdog car on a challenging circuit, delivered a result that few predicted but many felt was long deserved. Hülkenberg finally experienced the champagne spray, the trophy lift, and the unique camaraderie of the F1 podium. For a man who had waited longer than anyone else in the sport`s history for that specific feeling, it was a moment of pure, unadulterated validation.
Dominic Ashworth