So close, so often: Nico Hülkenberg’s near misses before his Silverstone breakthrough
Fifteen years since his debut in Formula 1, Nico Hülkenberg secured his maiden podium at Sunday’s Silverstone Grand Prix—a remarkable win for the German. A long-time underdog of the sport, Hülkenberg pushed his underperforming Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber—mockingly called a “green tractor” for its lack of race pace—to the limit, fending off none other than Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton on home turf.
He last stood on a podium when he won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 while driving for Porsche with Earl Bamber and Nick Tandy.
The 38-year-old’s win is welcomed by all in the F1 community, earning widespread praise from his competitors and fans alike. While McLaren took a 1-2 podium with Lando Norris at the helm, Hülkenberg capitalised on the clean air from the +20 second gap created by Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll early on, making it smooth sailing (literally) during the on-and-off wet race.
The German made his debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix and has since had 238 winless race starts. Though often close to glory in F1, a podium always eluded him—until now. Here’s a look back at some of his marrow misses.
2010 Brazilian Grand Prix
Team: Williams
A young 23-year-old Hülkenberg, fresh off his cahmpionship win in Formula 2, was eager to make a name in his rookie season. Signing for Williams, the German racer secured his first and only pole position to date during a wet qualifying at the 2010 Brazilian Grand Prix—a well-received achievement that also marked Williams’ first pole position since 2005. Alas, for the driver, Sunday’s dry race was not on his side as he could not compete with the Red Bulls of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber and the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, who overtook him early on. Hülkenberg finished eight, earning points, but missing out on a podium.
2012 Brazilian Grand Prix
Team: Force India
A wet race at the Interlagos circuit again, and this time Hülkenberg qualified seventh. He zoomed to the front early on in the race after a clever slick tyre strategy paid off. But the race turned disastrous at Lap 54, as the German was fighting for the lead against the pole-sitter—Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton—but lost control of the car, causing a collision with the Brit. This ended Hamilton’s chance for an easy win and cost Hülkenberg a drive-through penalty. Despite the setback, the Force India racer managed to finish a respectable fifth.
2016 Monaco Grand Prix
Team: Force India
Hülkenberg secured P5 during qualifying after Kimi Räikkönen’s Ferrari was handed a five-place grid penalty for a last-minute gearbox change. The Monaco track—a street race—is infamous for its narrow roads and risky hairpins, which makes overtaking a challenge at this Grand Prix. Pit-stop strategy is essential for a chance at the podium, but the rain added to the burden. A wrong call from the Force India garage to pit at Lap 15 cost the German his race as he lagged behind Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa who were running on older tyres. The team later admitted that their early tyre call was a mistake that may have cost Hülkenberg a maiden podium.
2016 Austrian Grand Prix
Team: Force India
Similar to the Monaco Grand Prix, Hülkenberg secured P2 during qualifying after Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes was handed a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change. This marked the German’s second front-row appearance after the 2010 Brazilian GP. Despite qualifying front, Hülkenberg’s Force India faced a host of problems from suspension issues to brake failure that led to his inevitable retirement from the race. His teammate Sergio Perez also retired from the race, making it a disappointing weekend for Force India.
2019 German Grand Prix
Team: Renault
Hülkenberg qualified P9 before a chaotic Sunday unfolded. A wet race, yet again, he used the advantage of the first safety car of the day to surge into P2, while those ahead of him pitted to swap out for new tyres as the track began to dry. Chasing race leader Max Verstappen, disaster struck on lap 40, when he slid into a gravel trap at Turn 16, unable to get his car back on the track. Hülkenberg himself admitted that the loss was “hard to swallow” for him.
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