Lewis Hamilton applauds Nico Hulkenberg for securing his first F1 podium at British GP

Nico Hulkenberg claimed his maiden F1 podium at the British GP, and a host of drivers congratulated the German on the occasion, including Lewis Hamilton. Though the 40-year-old's podium streak at his home race ended due to the Sauber driver finishing ahead of him, he appreciated Hulkenberg on social media for his achievement.

Hulkenberg had started the British GP in 19th place after a torrid qualifying effort on Saturday. However, Sunday was even chaotic with rain playing its part, and the German utilized this to his advantage during the 52-lap event.

The 37-year-old made several moves up the grid and overtook Lance Stroll by the halfway point to get into the top three positions. However, a charging prancing horse of Hamilton had set its eyes on his Sauber to get past him, leaving Hulkenberg with no room to make any mistakes as the threat of a repeat of Germany 2019 loomed over him.

Despite the flashbacks, Nico Hulkenberg drove a flawless race and beat Hamilton to the checkered flag, which helped him secure his first F1 podium after 239 race starts. A myriad of drivers congratulated the German on his massive achievement, and the 40-year-old Ferrari driver followed suit by sharing a story on his Instagram.

Lewis Hamilton's Instagram story on July 7 | Source: Instagram/@lewishamilton

Hamilton has yet to secure a podium finish with Ferrari in the 2025 season, as he recorded a fourth-place result for the third time this year.

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Lewis Hamilton says Ferrari SF-25 was a handful at the British GP

Lewis Hamilton at the 2025 F1 British Grand Prix - Source: Getty

Lewis Hamilton is the most successful driver around the Silverstone Circuit. He had secured nine race victories and a host of podiums around his backyard in F1.

The Briton had finished on the podium at the British GP since 2014, a streak which ultimately came to an end in his maiden home race with Ferrari. Moreover, the Ferrari SF-25's unstable nature was the main culprit, as Hamilton later explained, via Sky Sports F1:

"The car was really, really hard to drive. It just has no stability. So you go to corner, and it's snapping, snapping, snapping, snapping. It just won't stay still and that makes it so difficult. And in the low speed, it doesn't like to turn. It's a really frustrating balance."

"It's the worst feeling. When it's constantly snapping you just have no confidence. The ultimate goal is to try and build up confidence in the car and get faster and faster over time. It's like building a wall and then knocking it down. When you can't build that confidence you're not really going anywhere. You're kind of in no man's land. That's how I felt for most of the race."

Hamilton sits sixth in the championship standings and has reduced his deficit to teammate Charles Leclerc to 16 points.