Nico Hulkenberg's 'lost career', Max Verstappen's future, Lewis Hamilton's shambolic race and more: Post-British GP musings

Nico Hulkenberg is probably still having a severe hangover after celebrating his British GP podium with Max Verstappen last night. The others? Some are celebrating, while others have a long flight home.

The F1 British GP delivered like it always does. It has quite a few feel-good moments this time around, as Nico Hulkenberg now has a podium. Lando Norris won the race for the British fans as the country's search for a Lewis Hamilton successor is slowly coming to fruition.

At the same time, Max Verstappen's hopes for a title in any way are over now. The driver is just too far away, and there doesn't appear to be any hope of a Red Bull revival anymore. At the halfway stage of the season, the F1 British GP gave quite a few interesting standouts. Let's take a look.

#1 Nico Hulkenberg and 'what could have been'?

F1 has had an influx of all these new fans in the last few years, who were surprised when Haas announced Nico Hulkenberg to replace Mick Schumacher in 2023. For fans who have been watching the sport for longer, they knew this was the right call.

Nico Hulkenberg's career should never have been defined as someone who couldn't even get a podium after a decade in F1. The talent, the performance, and the perseverance deserved far more than the opportunities he ultimately had. Looking back, he could have ended up at Mercedes multiple times in his career, at Ferrari, at Red Bull, and at McLaren.

The second chance he's had at F1, the way he's grasped it, and the fact that he finds himself spearheading Audi's entry to the sport is something not many would have expected. With that being said, his close friend Max Verstappen cheered him as soon as he got the podium was arguably every fan that has seen Hulkenberg race for over a decade.

Nico Hulkenberg's career should ideally have wins, podiums, and maybe a title charge as well attached to it. For now, we'll be happy that he got his first trip to the rostrum.

#2 Max Verstappen isn't willing to commit to his future.

If there's anyone who has looked at Max Verstappen's demeanor and his comments to the media, it's clear that he's not sure about his commitment to Red Bull. Christian Horner was at his combative best in front of the media, and that is something that is admirable for sure.

It, however, does not change the fact that Max Verstappen is just not happy with anything going on at Red Bull. Every small thing gets magnified, and it looks bad. No one knows what the future holds when it comes to 2026. We can make assumptions that Mercedes might have the best PU, but that's still not concrete enough to make a long-term commitment.

If we zoom out a little and try to look at the championship right now, if you remove the McLaren duo and the brilliant car that the team built, Max Verstappen is once again winning the title. The question, however, is not as simple, and the Dutch driver is looking for a way out for sure.

The summer break is the moment when the call would be made, by the looks of it, and all of it comes down to what Max Verstappen wants to do in the future and if he wants to be a part of the Red Bull family or maybe try something different.

#3 Lewis Hamilton had a shambolic race himself.

In all fairness, Charles Leclerc putting together an all-time stinker meant that Lewis Hamilton's underwhelming race did not get as much attention. The comments after the race put a lot of focus on the car and the strategy, but the driver himself left a lot on the table.

He had multiple moments where he went off track and lost a lot of time. He was overtaken by Pierre Gasly in an Alpine as well, and in all fairness, his result was flattered by the likes of Charles Leclerc, George Russell, and Fernando Alonso opting for some outrageous strategies.

After Max Verstappen spun, Lewis Hamilton should have been on the podium. The fact that he wasn't does come down to him.

#4 This is a strange title battle

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri are embroiled in one of the stranger title battles in F1 history. It's the halfway point in the season, and there's hardly anything separating the two in terms of points. With Max Verstappen now out of contention for the title, it is down to these two drivers.

But there's hardly any needle. The two get along very well, and it's hard to believe that they're fighting for the biggest prize in the sport. As the second half begins now, it's going to be interesting to see if the intensity is picked up a notch, as for now, it is a strange title battle.

#5 The regulations have delivered!

As the first half of the season comes to a close, we have had 5 different teams on the podium, 7 different drivers, 4 different pole sitters, and 4 different race winners. It's a fact that McLaren's wizardry has put the team in a position where the car is just a step above everyone else, but these regulations keep springing surprises.

They might not be perfect, but they have certainly ended up delivering a better product.