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 at present.
Regardless of lining up nineteenth on the British Grand Prix, his 239th F1 begin, Hülkenberg carved his approach by means of the sphere, mastering each tough situations 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 had 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. A minimum of 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 important achievement for him and his staff,” mentioned Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton, who put Hülkenberg beneath stress within the last levels of the British Grand Prix for that final podium spot, additionally paid tribute to the veteran driver. “Third place felt inside attain at instances 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 consequence at present and well-earned in these troublesome situations,” mentioned Williams Group Principal James Vowles.
“I’m very joyful 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 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’ve 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 trustworthy. Unsure the way it all occurred, however clearly loopy situations, blended situations. It was a survival struggle for lots of the race. I believe we simply had been actually on it. The fitting 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 part coming collectively, huge reduction, very joyful, very optimistic day,” described Hülkenberg. “From an enormous low yesterday being nearly final, actually on the grid, to this result’s form of surreal. It’s going to take a number of days to course of every part and take all of it in. Excellent news is we’ve two weeks now to get pleasure from it and to rejoice it correctly over the following 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 how you can do it. Used to do it quite a bit within the junior stuff after which needed to await it fairly a bit. However it 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, numerous positivity, numerous congratulations. For the time being simply joyful, relieved. However like I mentioned, it’s going to sink in additional over the following few hours and the following few days, and I believe I’ll really feel the enjoyment much more within the week to return.”
As for what is feasible for him and Sauber this season, Hülkenberg famous that the staff is now within the midfield struggle, and a “critical 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, at present is clearly circumstantial, and the situations made this race and this consequence doable,” mentioned Hülkenberg. “However I really feel within the midfield struggle we’ve positively gained some momentum, and we’re a critical competitor there. That’s the place our struggle is, nevertheless it’s all the time about maximizing each race, each weekend, and simply attempting to do effectively.”
