Nico Hulkenberg is the new darling of the Formula 1 paddock after his sensational drive at Silverstone which resulted in his first ever F1 podium at the 239th attempt
Helmut Marko admitted Nico Hulkenberg has become “a better driver” since he was snubbed by Red Bull. The German was once under consideration as the team mulled over their options to partner Max Verstappen towards the end of the 2020 season.
Red Bull had lost Daniel Ricciardo two years earlier and had struggled to find an adequate replacement. Pierre Gasly cracked under the pressure after he was promoted from their junior team, while his replacement Alex Albon was also too inexperienced to produce the form the team needed of him.
They replaced Albon at the end of that season, choosing Sergio Perez to partner Verstappen after he had won in Formula 1 for the first time with Racing Point, who had already decided to drop the Mexican. That call came at the expense of Hulkenberg who had also been in the frame.
The German was without an F1 seat at the time, having been dropped by Renault at the end of 2019. But he had raced three times the following year when Racing Point’s regular drivers had returned positive Covid-19 tests.
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After spending three full years out, Hulkenberg has since rebuilt his career by landing a seat at Haas and performing well enough to become a top target for Audi’s new F1 project. And he has already shown he was worth signing with strong form this year and, at the British Grand Prix on Sunday, secured his first ever podium.
Speaking after the Silverstone race, Red Bull adviser Marko told OE24: “Hindsight is always 20:20. Checo [Perez] won back then, Hülkenberg was throwing away races. He’s better now. The older he gets, the fewer mistakes he makes. That’s why he has a good contract with Audi.”
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Verstappen, who has a strong bond with Hulkenberg, was one of the first to congratulate the German on his achievement at Silverstone, despite his own disappointing result of fifth place. The four-time F1 champion was seen waving a celebratory fist at his friend from the cockpit of his Red Bull during the cool down lap.
Verstappen then went up to Hulkenberg in parc ferme where they shook hands and shared a few words. And Marko was also full of praise, adding: “After 239 races, [finally] on the podium – we can only congratulate him. He’s very popular in the paddock.”
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Hulkenberg is now ninth in the drivers’ standings, having scored 37 points this year. Rookie team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto has managed four more, meaning Sauber are on 41 points which has propelled them up to sixth in the teams’ championship. In 2024, they finished rock bottom with just four points scored all year.
Even before his recent scoring streak, back in April, former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher expressed his belief that Red Bull should have snapped up Hulkenberg when they had the chance. He said: “The mistake from the start was not putting Nico Hulkenberg in the car. That was Christian Horner’s decision, that’s what I heard. But they needed a clear, experienced number two alongside Max Verstappen and I think that would have worked well.”