239 Grand Prix starts later, Nico Hulkenberg no longer holds the Formula 1 record for most starts without a podium.
Hulkenberg banished that record for good as he claimed a sensational P3 result for himself and Sauber in a rain-affected British Grand Prix, Hulkenberg praising the timing on a pit stop for slick tyres in comparison to Lewis Hamilton as “crucial” for that podium finish.
‘Surreal’ result yet to sink in for Nico Hulkenberg
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher
After a pre-race soaking of Silverstone, the rain returned with a vengeance early in the race, triggering a series of incidents, Virtual Safety Cars and full Safety Cars, the end result being Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Hulkenberg and Ferrari’s nine-time British Grand Prix winner Hamilton smelling a podium behind the dominant McLarens.
Hulkenberg would pass Stroll, Hamilton soon following and closing in on the Sauber driver, but despite the initial pressure, Hulkenberg withstood and pulled away, finally making the F1 podium at the 239th time of asking.
Reflecting on that achievement after the race, Hulkenberg said: “Happy, but it’s a lot to take in, to process. It’s been a very intense race.
“It’s so intense for us in the car in these changeable conditions on a damp track. You always feel like with one foot you’re in the wall when you’re exploring and on the limit and then trying to push. So, yeah, very intense.
“Obviously, it was a kind of a distance battle with Lewis at the end who was making up some ground, but not enough, luckily for us at the end.
“So, yeah, everything coming together, big relief, very happy, very positive day. From a massive low yesterday being almost last, literally on the grid, to this result is kind of surreal.
“It’s going to take a few days to process everything and take it all in. Good news is we have two weeks now to enjoy it and to celebrate it properly over the next week before we go again.”
Hulkenberg declared that he and Sauber “pitted at the perfect time every single time”, with the “crucial” instance being their call to pit one lap later than Hamilton as the final return to dry tyres began, a podium-securing move in Hulkenberg’s view.
Asked at what point he realised the podium was on, Hulkenberg replied: “Before we pitted back onto slicks. I passed Lance, then Lewis passed Lance pretty quickly, and then I was able to keep him at bay and even pull away when the inters started to wear more and more.
“So I was like, that was looking pretty positive and encouraging.
“Then I think we made a really good call by stopping one lap later than he did for the slicks, and we gained I think around ten seconds. That gap was crucial. From there onwards, felt like a pretty long 10, 11, 12 laps, whatever it was. But from there onwards, I knew we have every chance to get this result. We just needed to keep it on the road while pushing.”
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It has been quite the surge for Sauber after a critical upgrade package was introduced for the C45 in Barcelona.
There Hulkenberg finished fifth and has embarked on a four-race run of points finishes, the latest triumph his career-best P3 at Silverstone.
When asked how much more is possible with this rapidly improving Sauber, Hulkenberg was a little taken aback.
“You want even more? Jesus!” he said.
“I think that’s pretty good for starters today.
“If we had a dry race, it would have been a very different day and outcome for us. Whilst we’ve made some really good improvements since Barcelona, today is obviously circumstantial, and the conditions made this race and this result possible.
“But I feel in the midfield fight we’ve definitely gained some momentum, and we are a serious competitor there. That’s where our fight is, but it’s always about maximising every race, every weekend, and just trying to do well.”
Throughout his decade-and-a-half Formula 1 career, Hulkenberg has commonly been regarded as one of the grid’s leading talents, despite the races going by without a podium to show for it.
But the wait is now over, and for Hulkenberg the achievement will soon begin to sink in.
“Felt good. I still remembered how to do it,” he said. “Used to do it a lot in the junior stuff and then had to wait for it quite a bit.
“But it just happened so quick, the race, and you’re still processing that. Then so many emotions, so many people coming at you, a lot of positivity, a lot of congratulations. At the moment just happy, relieved.
“But like I said, it’s going to sink in more over the next few hours and the next few days, and I think I’ll feel the enjoyment even more in the week to come.”
Hulkenberg departs the British Grand Prix P9 in the Drivers’ Championship, as he and Sauber continue to build momentum ahead of their transformation into Audi next season.
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