Nico Hulkenberg breaks iconic F1 record, McLaren podium celebrations slammed
McLaren’s drivers have been criticised for their podium celebrations after one of F1’s most iconic records was broken at the British GP.
One of Formula One’s most iconic records has finally been broken in miraculous fashion at the British Grand Prix.
Lando Norris won his home race at Silverstone for the first time, benefitting from a controversial 10-second time penalty to Oscar Piastri that denied the Australian victory.
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Piastri’s lead in the championship has been cut to eight points at the halfway point of the season, and he was fuming after being penalised for braking dangerously and slowing down too quickly in front of Max Verstappen during a Safety Car period.
The fairytale story of the race was veteran Nico Hulkenberg — the veteran Sauber driver started 19th on the grid after a disappointing result in qualifying, but he surged through the race to finish third.
The 37-year-old German, who has raced for eight different teams, including alongside Daniel Ricciardo at Renault, finished on the podium for the first time in his career in his 239th race, 5,593 days after his debut.
Germany’s Adrian Sutil now holds the record for the most races without a podium, while of current drivers, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda has 102 race starts without a top three finish.
Hulkenberg’s bio on F1’s official website describes him as a “midfield marauder”, and F1 fans couldn’t believe Hulkenberg finally got on the podium in the most unlikely fashion.
Hulkenberg finally getting a podium and it’s in the worst car he’s ever driven after starting 19th. CRAZY!! 🤯🤯🤯🤯
— Tom Bellingham (@TomP1Bellingham) July 6, 2025
HE HAS ACTUALLY DONE IT!!!!
— Matt Gallagher (@MattP1Gallagher) July 6, 2025
HULKENBERG GETS HIS PODIUM!!!!! ðŸ˜ðŸ˜ðŸ˜
“It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it?” Hulkenberg smiled.
“But, I always knew, we have it in us. I have it in me somewhere.
“What a race coming from back of the grid, doing it all over again from last weekend. It’s pretty surreal.
“To be honest, not sure how it all happened, but obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race.
“I think we just were really on it, the right calls, the right tyres in the right moment, made no mistakes, and quite incredible.”
There were some awkward scenes on the podium after the race, with Norris and Piastri giving somewhat half-hearted sprays of champagne and not involving Hulkenberg in the celebrations.
Piastri looked gutted on the podium as England’s national anthem God Save the King was played.
Some fans were disappointed the McLaren duo didn’t focus on Hulkenberg and make him the man of the moment, given the magnitude of his maiden podium.
A video of the podium celebration has racked up more than three million views on X.
One fan wrote on X: “They didn’t spray Nico. Oscar looked at Lando then looked at his team and sprayed them first instead. Lando just won his home GP? Vibes just felt off.”
A second said: “If Max and George could put their death wishes for each other on pause for a second to celebrate Kimi’s first podium properly then the Mclaren boys should’ve done the same for Nico. These absolute losers.”
A third commented: “Both McLaren drivers are such losers, holy f***. Nico just won his first podium in his ENTIRE career and you couldn’t try and make him feel a bit welcome Seriously?”
Another said: “Now for such a fun likeable off track duo why is it always McLaren producing off and icky podium vibes like how f***ing hard was it to just spray Nico after his very first podium in F1 after so many races.”
It didn’t seem to bother Hulkenberg, who took a swig of champagne as he soaked in the moment.
The trophies for the British Grand Prix were made out of LEGO, something Piastri pointed out to Hulkenberg in their post-race press conference.
Piastri said lightheartedly: “I also have a question for Nico. How does it feel after 15 years of F1 to get a podium (trophy) that’s made out of LEGO that you can just pull apart?”
Hulkenberg replied: “I love LEGO. My daughter can play with it now. I have A bit of silver or gold would’ve been nice too but I won’t complain.”
Hulkenberg drove superbly in the wet conditions and made sensible strategy tyre calls to work his way through the field.
“I thought the penalty … was pretty bad,” Piastri said.
“But anyway we had a quick car today, showed what I needed to prove. Just disappointing when the result you deserve gets taken from you, but that’s how it goes sometimes.
“I hit the brakes, saw the Safety Car lights went off so I didn’t accelerate again and Max went past me, which was a bit strange.
“Then I got a penalty for it … so about as simple as that.”
Hulkenberg withstood a late charge from Lewis Hamilton to hold onto third place.
“I was in denial, till probably the last pit stop and then when I heard we gapped Lewis quite a bit with the one extra lap, I was like, OK, you know, this is good. It’s some breathing space,” Hulkenberg said.
“But then he was catching quite quickly so the pressure was there. It was an intense race. But like I said, we didn’t crack, no mistakes. And obviously, really, really happy with that.
“Obviously he’s [Hamilton] going to give it all here in front of his home crowd and I was like ‘sorry guys, but you know, it’s also my day. I got to stick my neck out’.”
Sauber, which had earned the harsh nickname of the “green wheelie bins” from some F1 fans, is now sixth in the constructors standings and well and truly in the midfield battle.
It’s a stunning turnaround for Sauber, who finished last in 2024 with just four championship points.
But Sauber is expected to improve in 2026 when Audi officially takes over the team with Audi engines.
Hulkenberg and Norris have both broken long droughts and unwanted records in recent times.
Last year Norris claimed his first grand prix win, ending the curse he held of having the most podium finishes without a race win (14).
Norris now has eight career wins, one more than Piastri, and with the McLaren drivers separated by just eight points in the standings, the championship is set to go down to the wire over the second half of the season.
Originally published as Nico Hulkenberg breaks iconic F1 record, McLaren podium celebrations slammed
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