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Fans online celebrated as Nico Hulkenberg clinched his first F1 career podium, finishing third in the 2025 British Grand Prix on Sunday, July 6. The German driver set the record for the most races started without a podium with a whopping 239 starts.
Hulkenberg is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. Making his debut with Williams Racing in 2010, he raced with several teams. Although he remained extremely consistent with his results, he never had the opportunity to drive for a race-winning team. His best finish remained stuck at a P4, which he scored several times.
The 37-year-old driver showed some improvement after moving to Sauber this year, but the car's pace was not competitive enough. However, the team implemented a brilliant strategy in Silverstone earlier. The treacherous rain conditions on the track saw Max Verstappen spinning out of a top-three contention, and Lewis Hamilton had a similar fate.
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Hulkenberg, who started the race from the last position on the grid, brilliantly overtook Lance Stroll and held off Hamilton in the closing stages to clinch the P3. Considering his massive following, there were quite a few celebratory posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). One user claimed it a win for entire F1 community, writing:
"We won, the entire F1 community won collectively today."
"HULK PODIUM BEFORE GTA 6 RAHHHHH," another user wrote.
"The most underrated driver in history Red Bull should sign him," suggested a fan.
Some fans also mentioned that Nico Hulkenberg's podium was a bigger celebration than Lando Norris' home victory. The McLarens marked their fifth 1 - 2 finish this season, extending their lead in the Constructors' standings.
"I could care less about McLaren right now. I'm so happy for the man Nico," a fan wrote.
"I could watch him celebrate and smile for the next 8 hours," mentioned a fan.
At the same time, Hulkenberg was quite cheerful with his finish as well, as he felt that it was "surreal."
"It's been a long time coming": Nico Hulkenberg on his first F1 podium finish
This P3 finish is so far the biggest triumph in Hulkenberg's Formula 1 career. As mentioned, he never had a car capable of winning races; moreover, his driving skills never had the right platform at the right time. Although he is capable of much more, this P3 finish is so far the best he has achieved.
Reacting to his podium finish, Hulkenberg stated it was "surreal" considering his position earlier in the race. Nico Hulkenberg said (via his post-race interview):
"It's been a long time coming, hasn't it? But I always knew we have it in us. I have it in me somewhere. I mean what a race, coming from virtually last, you know, doing it all over again from last weekend. It's uh, pretty surreal, to be honest."
Although his teammate Gabriel Bortoleto retired earlier in the race, Nico Hulkenberg's P3 finish pushed Sauber up into sixth place in the Constructors' standings with 41 points.
