But he was left without a seat for 2011 as Williams opted for sponsorship money from Pastor Maldonado. A year as Force India’s reserve before being promoted to their full-time line-up for 2012, starting a run of eight consecutive seasons in the championship, before a poor 2019 at Renault dropped him once again.
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It seemed strange that a driver of his talent, who had such a strong junior record, would end an F1 career with no podiums and be completely stuck in the midfield, while that failed move to Ferrari in 2014 was the big ‘what if’ moment.
Hulkenberg would make sporadic appearances over the next three seasons, before a golden opportunity presented itself at Haas for 2023, which the then 36-year-old grabbed with both hands. Kevin Magnussen, who always outperformed his teammate, put him on Audi’s radar and the German brand signed him for Sauber this year ahead of next season’s takeover.
But little was expected of the Swiss team considering their terrible 2024: only four points were scored with Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, and modest developments on their C45 hinted that the focus was already on 2026.
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Qualifying in the Melbourne opener also seemed more of the same, as Hulkenberg was eliminated from Q1 in 17th place and rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto was just two places higher. But in fact this set the theme for the rest of the season as the young Brazilian was largely even with Hulkenberg in the standings, but the veteran had the advantage on a Sunday and was brilliant at maximizing points scoring opportunities.
That same weekend, for example, he rose to seventh place thanks to several retirements, thus giving Sauber more points (six) than it had scored during the previous season. Hulkenberg achieved a similar recovery in Spain with fifth place from a starting position of 15th, as part of a strong mid-season that also included top 10s in Austria and Canada.
Hulkenberg overcame difficult conditions and took the Silverstone podium
Therefore, many people underestimated Sauber’s chances for 2025, being the favorite to finish last, and Silverstone exceeded everyone’s expectations, giving Hulkenberg what he had been chasing his entire career: a podium.
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He may have started the race in 19th place, but the mixed weather conditions made everything unpredictable and the right strategy was king. That was key to Hulkenberg’s podium finish, as a perfectly timed first pit stop for the intermediates took him to fourth place following a safety car, in which he subsequently claimed third place from Lance Stroll with DRS.
Hulkenberg had to deal with late pressure from Lewis Hamilton but held firm to seal his record for most grand prix starts (239) before taking the podium.
“I was thinking that he (Hamilton) was going to give it his all in front of his home crowd, and I thought, ‘sorry guys, but it’s my day too’. I had to take a chance, I’m super happy,” Hulkenberg said at the time.
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The reaction to his podium finish was also indicative of the respect he has earned in the world of motorsport, because his rivals were delighted with him. “He has always been in the top five on the grid every time he has been in F1,” said Carlos Sainz, while Fernando Alonso added: “One of the best drivers on the grid who never had the opportunity to have a proper car underneath.”
So yes, Hulkenberg’s podium was a feel-good moment in 2025, but there were still 12 rounds of the season left and, unfortunately for him, the next six grands prix were the toughest. The Sauber driver failed to score any points, in the midst of a streak of being surpassed by Bortoleto on eight consecutive occasions.
However, Hulkenberg made it through the final rounds, scoring points in four of the last six grands prix and once again overtaking his teammate in the standings. The pair finished with a score of 15-15 including sprints, while Hulkenberg finished 11th in the standings and 32 points ahead of the 21-year-old.
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