Sauber
Nico Hulkenberg
“I am ecstatic — this is such a special day for the team and for me personally. That first podium feeling... I cannot put it into words. It was such an intense race with changing conditions all the time, and you always feel like you are right on the edge.
“We made the right calls today, especially stopping later for slicks — that decision was crucial and made all the difference. The battle with Lewis in the final stint was really intense. He was closing the gap, but I managed to keep him behind and even pull away a little as the tyres came in. I think if it had been a dry race, the day would have looked very different for us, but we made the most of the conditions and took every opportunity.
“Starting from last on the grid and finishing on the podium honestly feels kind of surreal. It’s going to take a few days, a few moments, to process everything and take it all in. It’s been a great team effort from start to finish, and I am really proud of what we achieved together. Now, we have two weeks to enjoy this and celebrate properly before we get back to work – and finish the first half of the season on a high.”
Gabriel Bortoleto
“First of all, congratulations to Nico! Seeing him fight for the podium and achieve this result after so many years in Formula One means a lot. He is the best teammate I have ever worked with — both as a driver and as a person — and he absolutely deserves this moment: I am genuinely happy for him. It’s a special day for the team and, even though my own race didn’t go to plan, I am proud to be part of this. I’ll keep working hard and hopefully be up there as well someday.
"Looking back at how the race went for me, I am rather disappointed: I took a risk by switching to the medium tyre, expecting the track to dry quicker with the conditions we had but, unfortunately, it didn’t go the way I hoped. I pushed on the restart, lost the car, and that was the end of my race, on top of an already challenging weekend. I am always very self-critical and I know I let the team down today, because we had the potential for an even stronger result. But these things are all part of the learning curve. Now, we'll celebrate Nico and head into a couple of weeks without racing, which we'll use to keep training and working on improving even more ahead of the summer break.”
Jonathan Wheatley, Team Principal
“Where do I start… The most overdue podium in F1 history and the first podium for the team since Japan in 2012. This was a weekend of highs and lows but ultimately, we pulled it all together and when the opportunity was there, we grabbed it with both hands. After his success in Austria this was a frustrating weekend for Gabriel, but he grows stronger with every race. Easy to forget that this is still only his first season in F1 and I know he will be eager to get back on track and start the second half of the championship.
“Nico drove a masterclass today. From starting in 19th to P3 this was the lowest ever starting position for a podium finisher in Sauber’s 32-year history and after 239 Grand Prix starts, Nico delivered the goods. No driver is more deserving of a podium than Nico.
“Once again, we came together as a team today. We showed confidence and belief in ourselves, delivering a result that everyone in the factory and at the track can be justly proud of. What a day.”
