Sergio Perez leaves a message for Nico Hulkenberg as the German secures his first F1 podium

Nico Hulkenberg's maiden podium at the British GP became the highlight of the race, as the German's former teammate, Sergio Perez, applauded him on the occasion. The Kick Sauber driver was known for bestowing one of the most unfortunate F1 records, which he broke at the Silverstone Circuit on his 239th attempt.

Hulkenberg made his debut in 2010 with Williams and impressed the paddock with his prowess behind the wheel of an F1 car, as he claimed a pole position in his debut year. Though he was dropped for the subsequent year by the Grove-based squad, he was quickly snubbed by Force India (now Aston Martin) for a stint of five years at the Silverstone-based outfit.

There, Hulkenberg became a teammate to Perez in 2014 as the Mexican had departed from McLaren at the end of the 2013 season. The pair had secured impressive results for the Indian outfit sprinkled between the two of them before they split apart in their F1 journeys.

While the 35-year-old went on to claim race wins, Hulkenberg had eluded to standing on an F1 podium since his debut. And at last, this dream came true at the 2025 British GP.

After 238 failed attempts, Hulkenberg's 239th race start proved crucial as he became an F1 podium sitter, and shared a post on Instagram to celebrate the impressive feat.

Max Verstappen commented on the post, congratulating the German, and his former Red Bull teammate followed suit:

"Bravo Hulk 👏 finally getting what you deserve."

Sergio Perez's comment on Nico Hulkenberg's Instagram post | Source: Instagram

Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez remained teammates at Force India during 2014-16, and on one occasion in the 2020 season.

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How was Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg's relationship as teammates?

Sergio Perez (L) and Nico Hulkenberg (R) at the 2016 F1 Grand Prix of Russia - Source: Getty

Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg's partnership in F1 lasted 60 races together. Though the two maintained a professional relationship both on and off the track, the Mexican had once talked about his connection with the German when they were teammates at Force India.

In 2016, after Hulkenberg's departure from the Indian outfit was announced, Perez had reflected on their time together and told Formula 1:

"I didn't spend a lot of time with him. But we knew each other for many years, living close when we both lived in Oxford. And probably now that we are no longer team mates, we will get along even better. I see that with Jenson Button: once we weren't team mates any longer the relationship got better."

Meanwhile, Hulkenberg is set to continue in the F1 sphere with Sauber, as the Hinwill-based squad soon transforms into Audi. Meanwhile, Perez is still exploring his options for a potential return to the grid in 2026.