So long jokes, hello history books

He finally did it. A Nico Hulkenberg F1 podium. The last time the German stepped on the podium was 10 years ago as a Le Mans winner. Once the subject of “super sub” and ‘no podium’ satirical matter but now: in the history books.

Stake/Sauber have a modest history, one win, one pole position and just 28 podiums in 501 race entries (498 starts) since 1993.

📸 Robert Kubica is Sauber’s only ever race winner (to date).

Nico Hulkenberg’s history is fairly modest too. 239 starts, one pole position…Sauber and ‘The Hulk’ are a perfect match and as of today, they’re both podium sitters.

Hulkenberg was written off. His F1 career was over. More then once. He’s proved us all wrong, and we couldn’t be happier for him.

He’s had his close calls: engine failure in Singapore (2017) running third, ending the race in the wall at home in Hockenheim (2019) when he’d even led the race, spun from the lead in Brazil…I think we’d all assumed and even accepted it was never going to happen for the popular German. To be honest, I don’t think he’d have it any other way.

📸 Hulkenberg was involved in a collision with Hamilton when leading.

In achieving his Silverstone podium, he’s definitely set what may be an unsurpassable and probably unwanted record for most races until achieving a podium with 239 under his belt. There’s every chance he’s also achieved the last podium for the team with Sauber links before Audi kick in to gear, bar some impressive results in the second half of the season. How they would love that, as would we.

📸 At last.

Congratulations to Nico and the team. Very, very well deserved.

📸 Image credits: Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber, Formula Motorsport Limited.