The controversy created by Max Verstappen when he slammed into George Russell late in the Spanish Grand Prix overshadowed an extraordinary achievement by Nico Hulkenberg
Max Verstappen was named Driver of the Day by Formula 1 fans at the Spanish Grand Prix – though the outcome of that poll may have been very different if only the votes cast after the Dutchman slammed into George Russell, seemingly on purpose, counted.
And, in any case, the final classification makes it clear that one driver’s extraordinary performance and result was unfairly overlooked. Because in fifth place – nosebleed territory for a Sauber team which has struggled to make an impression in recent years – was Nico Hulkenberg.
He finished sixth on the road but, because Verstappen dropped down to 10th because of a penalty for his moment of madness, was promoted to fifth place. The last time the German finished a race that high, the year was 2019 and he was driving for Renault at the Italian Grand Prix.
It was also a landmark moment for the team, who haven’t had anyone finish that high in a race since the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, when Valtteri Bottas managed it. The 10 points Hulkenberg scored on Sunday lifted Sauber off the foot of the constructors’ standings to eighth place, level with Aston Martin.
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And Hulkenberg managed it despite an unspectacular qualifying result which meant he started 15th on the grid. But he got off to a stunning start by rising five positions on the opening lap, which put him in points contention.
He had been one of a few drivers who saved an extra set of soft compound tyres for the race, compromising his qualifying efforts as a result. But the gamble paid off as a late safety car gave him the opportunity to put on a new set of softs for the six-lap sprint to the chequered flag.
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Hulkenberg said: “It was one of those Sundays where everything came together really well. Right from the beginning, we were in the mix – a strong start, a clean first lap, and we were immediately able to fight for points.
“Ironically, not having the best Saturday and saving a set of softs gave us a strategic edge with the tyre allocation. The safety car mixed things up a bit, and having those fresh compounds turned out to be a golden ticket. There was a significant delta between used and new tyres today, so that really paid off.”
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Rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto did not score points but looked strong, qualifying 12th in an upgraded Sauber C45. The team introduced a raft of upgrades in Barcelona which, based on the evidence they collected during the race, look to have given them a more competitive race car.
Hulkenberg added: “The car felt good all weekend, and the updates clearly gave us a step forward in performance. We had strong pace throughout the race. Credits to the whole team, both at the factory and trackside, for the hard work on the upgrades.”