The Silverstone race not only saw McLaren’s success but also marked a historic moment for Nico Hülkenberg of Kick Sauber, who clinched his maiden Formula 1 podium after a 15-year career! Despite starting 19th, the unexpected victory celebration was nothing short of sensational.
Nico Hülkenberg, the hero of the day at Silverstone, finally broke his 15-year, 239-Grand Prix wait to step onto the podium. Prior to July 6, 2025, his career highlights included pole position in Brazil during his rookie season in 2010 and qualifying on the front row twice.
No one foresaw his remarkable comeback from a 19th-place start in Sunday’s race, after setting the second-slowest time in Saturday’s qualifying. Speaking with Jenson Button post-race, Hülkenberg expressed his emotions:
“It feels incredible. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it? But I always believed we had it in us, somewhere. What a race. Coming from virtually last, repeating the journey from last weekend. It’s quite surreal, to be honest. I’m not sure how it all fell into place, but the mixed conditions played to our advantage. We made the right calls, timed the tyre changes perfectly, and executed flawlessly. I was in disbelief until the final pit stop, but when I realized we had comfortably gapped Lewis [Hamilton] by an extra lap, I knew we were onto something good.”
This podium finish also marked Kick Sauber’s first since 2012, a surprise so unexpected that their garage lacked champagne; Mercedes graciously provided a bottle with a congratulatory note.
Even the podium procedure caught Hülkenberg off guard; Lando Norris had to fetch his helmet.
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Hülkenberg’s Formula 1 debut was with Williams in 2010, following years as a test driver. He raced for teams including Force India (later Racing Point in 2020, replacing Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll), Sauber (Kick Sauber), Renault, Aston Martin (replacing Sebastian Vettel for the first two races of the 2022 season), and Haas. Despite sporadic races and stints as a substitute, he remained optimistic about his career, reflecting, “I’ve had good opportunities and cars, but it never quite came together.”
Looking ahead, Hülkenberg’s comeback at Silverstone ended Formula 1’s longest podium drought. Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley praised his performance as “one of the greatest at Silverstone,” while Carlos Sainz Jr. hailed him as one of the top five talents on the grid, emphasizing his exceptional race execution.
Currently ninth in the drivers’ standings, Hülkenberg and Kick Sauber hold sixth in the Constructors’ Championship.
