Nico Hulkenberg ends unwanted F1 record with stunning British GP podium

Nico Hulkenberg has finally banished the record for the most Formula 1 race starts without a podium finish after a standout performance at the British Grand Prix.

In what was his 239th career start (from 242 entries), the Sauber driver executed his strategy brilliantly in a mixed-weather race at Silverstone to claim third place behind McLaren duo Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

The German came under sustained pressure from Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton during the penultimate stint, but held firm on worn wet tyres to seal the final spot spot on the podium.

The feat was made even more impressive by the fact that 37-year-old had started the race from the last row on the grid.

The result also marked Sauber’s first podium since Kamui Kobayashi finished third at the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.

With Hulkenberg finally reaching the rostrum, another former Force India driver Adrian Sutil now inherits the unwanted record for the most race starts without a podium.

Hulkenberg made his F1 debut in 2010 and built a reputation as a dependable midfield runner, but the absence of a top-three finish remained a glaring omission in his career.

He came agonisingly close on several occasions, most notably at the rain-affected 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, where he briefly led for Force India before a collision with then-McLaren driver Hamilton forced him into retirement.

After losing his full-time seat at the end of 2019, Hulkenberg returned to the grid in 2023 with Haas and gradually re-established himself as a reliable points scorer.

Now driving for Sauber ahead of its transition into the Audi works team, the 36-year-old had already impressed with a top-five result in Spain before delivering his long-awaited breakthrough at Silverstone.

Although it has taken until now for Hulkenberg to bag a podium, he scored an outright victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche in 2015 alongside Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber.