4 days ago
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Nico Hulkenberg has opened up connected Max Verstappen's absorption to him securing his first-ever podium successful Formula 1 astatine the British Grand Prix.
Hulkenberg had antecedently held the grounds for the highest fig of F1 starts without achieving a top-three decorativeness but that statistic has present been consigned to past aft the 37-year-old finished 3rd astatine Silverstone.
The German drove an fantabulous contention successful hard conditions to decorativeness down the ascendant McLaren one-two of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who helium had a notable speech with successful his maiden quality successful the cooldown room.
Hulkenberg managed to clasp disconnected Lewis Hamilton successful his Ferrari to instrumentality the last spot connected the podium and unafraid his archetypal top-three decorativeness since making his F1 debut with Williams backmost successful 2010.
Nico Hulkenberg celebrates his archetypal ever podium successful Formula 1. (Image: Getty)
The effect has been a agelong clip coming for Hulkenberg, who has besides had spells astatine teams specified arsenic Force India, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin and Haas earlier claiming his archetypal podium successful F1.
Hulkenberg joined Sauber astatine the commencement of this season, earlier the squad morphs into the Audi works squad for 2026 with its ain in-house engine, with the existent squad utilizing lawsuit Ferrari engines.
The German's erstwhile champion decorativeness had been 4th connected a mates of occasions but present has a 3rd spot connected his racing CV and the grounds for the astir fig of Grand Prix starts without a podium present passes to Adrian Sutil, who past raced successful F1 backmost successful 2014, with 128.
After the extremity of the Grand Prix, four-time satellite champion Verstappen was the archetypal operator to congratulate Hulkenberg connected his accomplishment and besides fist bumped the aerial towards the Sauber operator connected the cooldown thigh aft the contention arsenic helium drove past him.
Verstappen, who finished 5th astatine Silverstone, hailed the effect for Hulkenberg arsenic the affirmative communicative of the time and expressed his happiness that the German got connected the podium astatine agelong last.
Nico Hulkenberg is congratulated by Max Verstappen aft finishing 3rd astatine the British Grand Prix. (Image: Getty)
Speaking to Viaplay, the Red Bull operator said: "Yeah, amazing! That’s the affirmative happening of the day! I americium truthful blessed for him that helium got the podium, yeah, truthful bully to see."
And Hulkenberg hailed Verstappen's classy actions arsenic helium congratulated him and spoke astir however agelong they person known each different arsenic helium labelled the Dutchman a 'great quality being'.
Hulkenberg said: "Max was the archetypal feline erstwhile I got retired of the car who. We spell mode backmost from karting days.
"I deliberation we person a batch of respect.
"I person immense respect for him, what helium does, what helium stands for. A large quality being."
The effect and 15 points which travel with it means Hulkenberg has risen to ninth successful the Drivers' Championship, portion the Sauber squad has climbed 3 placed to sixth successful the Constructors' Championship.
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