Nico Hulkenberg is still riding high from his stunning podium finish at the British Grand Prix earlier this month, describing the aftermath of his career-defining result as “overwhelming”.
The Sauber driver’s remarkable third-place finish at Silverstone – after starting from a distant 19th on the grid – marked his first-ever Formula 1 podium after 239 race starts, and the response from fans, peers, and the wider motorsport community left a lasting impression.
Speaking to media ahead of this weekend’s Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, the 37-year-old German reflected on the whirlwind two weeks following his Silverstone success.
“Yeah. Surprisingly, they've been very good,” Hulkenberg said, when asked how he spent the break after his podium finish.
“Nice to have a bit of time after and to enjoy the moment properly and not dive straight into the next Grand Prix. So that was good timing from that point of view.
“Obviously, just an incredible race. Those conditions were very tricky, but we made all the right decisions and rewarded ourselves coming from last, which was pretty crazy and special.”
“Well over 700 messages” after Silverstone
Hulkenberg’s measured strategy and flawless execution in a rain-affected British Grand Prix allowed him to navigate a chaotic race and rise through the field in spectacular fashion.
The achievement sparked an outpouring of support, much of which he admitted took time to fully absorb.
“The aftermath was also overwhelming,” he revealed. “The feedback and responses we got, well over 700 messages. Took me a good week to work through it all, but obviously amazing and nice to feel and see all that.”
The result was not only a career breakthrough for Hulkenberg but also a timely morale boost for the Sauber outfit, which has struggled in recent seasons to regularly contend for points, let alone podiums.
Bortoleto: “Nico nailed the decisions”
Hulkenberg’s rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto also weighed in on the team’s surprise podium, praising the veteran’s decisive calls during the unpredictable Silverstone race – even as he admitted to making the wrong gamble himself.
“Absolutely, I mean I was super happy for Nico and I'm still super happy for him,” Bortoleto said.
“But obviously I would love to be me there and fighting for that, but, I mean, he did the decisions himself and it is what it is.
“I mean, if I had done the same decisions as he did, probably I would have been close to that or fighting for the podium myself.”
The 19-year-old Brazilian explained how a risky early switch to slick tyres backfired, catching him out despite following the lead of more seasoned drivers.
“The first decision I took in the race – that was pitting for the slicks – it was the wrong decision,” he admitted.
“I saw some experienced guys ahead of me doing it, Leclerc, Russell, and I thought, you know, they know the track very well, the conditions. I saw as well some dry patches on track and I said, ‘I'm going for it,’ trying something – we are starting anyway in the back.
“Ended up that it didn't pay off for any of these drivers, we all struggled a lot, I saw a lot of drivers going out, a lot of drivers crashing like I did.”
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Bortoleto concluded with praise for Hulkenberg’s ability to “do the basics” and stay composed in an unpredictable race.
“So I feel that was a very tricky race. I tried something different, didn’t pay off. I feel like those that did the basics very well done and executed a very good race, they managed to score points or even a podium like Nico did.”
As the Formula 1 circus shifts to Spa, Hulkenberg’s heroics at Silverstone serve not only as a personal highlight but as a powerful reminder of what experience and composure can still achieve on the sport’s biggest stage.
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