After a wait of 239 race starts, Nico Hülkenberg grabbed his first F1 career podium at the 2025 British GP. The joy, however, turned out to be short-lived as the German driver is back in a familiar position. Despite putting up a hard fight, Hülkenberg finished the Belgian GP in P12.
Hülkenberg was among the four drivers who were the first to pit for slick tyres on the 11th lap of the Grand Prix. The proactive approach helped him make some early breakthroughs that saw him take P9. The Sauber driver played the ultimate team game to let his faster teammate Gabriel Bortoleto pass when asked on the team radio during that medium stint.
Having started P14, Hülkenberg would have taken a one-point P10 finish at the Belgian GP. However, he saw Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in his mirrors hunting him down. On a higher downforce setting and degrading medium compound tyres, Hülkenberg ran out of options and had to pit on the 32nd lap of the race. The aim was clear — to use another set of medium tyres and retake P10 before the chequered flag.
Hülkenberg ultimately fell short by two positions, with Oliver Bearman finishing between him and Gasly.
When asked if it was Gasly who forced him into a two-stop strategy during the post-race media interaction, Hülkenberg replied, “In a way yes, because my front tyres were giving up in that first stint and I was picking up front locking, a lot of understeer and I don’t think I would have survived to stay in front of Pierre and that group, given also that we were on higher downforce and he was on low downforce.”
“Once he got into my wake and he got closer and closer, we would have been a sitting duck there. That’s why I called for the second stop and tried to recover, which obviously didn’t quite happen.”
DRS train ruined P10 chances but Hülkenberg enjoyed F1 Belgian GP
Hülkenberg was stuck in a DRS train for pretty much the entirety of his third stint. Those in the DRS train included Yuki Tsunoda, Bearman, and Lance Stroll. While Stroll ultimately failed to keep up with the pack, the rest refused to budge until a very late move on the Japanese drived, rendering Hülkenberg’s plans futile.
“Well, we thought we had the chance, but you never know. Being a DRS train obviously didn’t make it easier, but 15 laps to the end, you think maybe that DRS train will dissolve and once you get there it will be different. But it wasn’t, so it’s just the usual racing stuff,” he recalled.
Regardless, it was an enjoyable race for Hülkenberg. Despite the late start behind the safety car and visibility issues, the Silverstone podium holder did not mind racing at the legendary Spa Francorchamps circuit.
When asked if he at least had some fun, he replied, “Yeah, definitely. Standing water wasn’t bad once we got going, but visibility is always the topic which is difficult on the straights. Even when we started it was pretty dry already, but visibility was still challenging the first couple of laps. But yeah, kind of a weird one waiting so long and getting going so late in the afternoon.”
