Nico Hülkenberg ends longest F1 podium wait and more winners and losers from Silverstone
Reflecting on a dramatic British Grand Prix with some winners and losers
The Formula 1 British Grand Prix never fails to deliver a few surprises.
This year’s installment of that legendary race delivered more than most.
While Oscar Piastri dominated the opening stint it was his McLaren teammate Lando Norris who took the checkered flag, in front of not just his home fans but a grandstand bearing his name. Max Verstappen, who began the race in P1 after a stunning lap to take pole position on Saturday, struggled in the wet conditions with the low-downforce rear wing the team bolted on his RB21 to help him take that pole position, and settled for fifth. Lewis Hamilton, hoping to keep his streak of podium finishes at Silverstone alive, put together a hard charge at the end for that spot but was denied a third-place result by a driver who after over 200 race starts and lots of podium celebrations observed from the sidelines, finally got a chance to take part in a podium celebration of his own.
Yes, the 2025 British Grand Prix offered a little bit of everything.
Let’s recap that race with some winners and losers.
Winner: Nico Hulkenberg
238 times Nico Hülkenberg climbed out of an F1 car after a race and walked back to the garage, and not to the podium.
The 239th time, however, was the charm.
For the first time in an F1 career dating back to 2010, Hülkenberg climbed upon a podium on Sunday as he finished third, behind only Norris and Piastri. From his F1 debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix until Sunday at Silverstone Hülkenberg’s career spanned multiple teams, a stint away from F1 altogether, a win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2015 with Porsche, and now a second stint on the grid with first Haas in 2023 and 2024, and now Sauber.
Finally, after the longest wait in F1 history, a podium for Hülkenberg:
Comfortably the longest wait #F1 #BritishGP pic.twitter.com/mRcEuNoaEc
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 6, 2025
When the race began a podium finish seemed an unlikely result, as Hülkenberg was the last car on the grid. Only Franco Colapinto, who lined up on pit lane after Alpine made changes to his car overnight, was behind him on the timing sheets. But a few more cars slid behind him at the end of the Formation Lap as drivers rolled the dice on slick tires at the start, and Hülkenberg started to work forward after the lights went out on a set of Intermediate tires.
Hülkenberg pitted on Lap 9 for another set of Intermediates, and continued working his way through the field. His final stop came on Lap 42 for a set of mediums, and he was eventually running third with Lewis Hamilton closing fast.
But the veteran driver held him off over the final laps to secure his maiden podium, and the first for the team since the 2012 Japanese Grand Prix.
“I always knew we have it in us, I had it in me somewhere. So what a race, coming from virtually last, doing it all over again from last weekend. It’s pretty surreal, to be honest,” said Hülkenberg trackside after the race. “Not sure how it all happened, but obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race. I think we just were really on it. The right calls, the right tires, at the right moment. Made no mistakes and, yeah, quite incredible.”
The podium finish touched off an incredible celebration from Sauber along pit lane, and praise for Hülkenberg poured in from across the paddock.
Team Principal Jonathan Wheatley sang Hülkenberg’s praises after the result.
“Where do I start … The most overdue podium in F1 history and the first podium for the team since Japan in 2012. This was a weekend of highs and lows but ultimately, we pulled it all together and when the opportunity was there, we grabbed it with both hands,” began Wheatley.
“Nico drove a masterclass today. From starting in 19th to P3 this was the lowest ever starting position for a podium finisher in Sauber’s 32-year history and after 239 Grand Prix starts, Nico delivered the goods. No driver is more deserving of a podium than Nico.
“Once again, we came together as a team today,” added Wheatley. “We showed confidence and belief in ourselves, delivering a result that everyone in the factory and at the track can be justly proud of. What a day.”
What a day, indeed.
Hülkenberg’s maiden podium, coming more than 15 years after his F1 debut, may be one of the sport’s greatest perseverance stories. During his time away from the full-time F1 grid he served as a reserve driver for Aston Martin, and drove in two races for the team in relief of Sebastian Vettel. Hülkenberg even participated in an IndyCar test for Arrow McLaren, but ultimately passed on an opportunity in that series.
He eventually made his return to F1 for the 2023 campaign with Haas, but decided early in 2024 to make the move to Sauber ahead of that team becoming the Audi works operation next year.
That move was viewed as a decision based on the future promise of Audi, but Sunday at Silverstone, the present was the story of the paddock.
And a driver’s perseverance drews praise from around the sport.
Winners: Aston Martin
When the lights went out Sunday at the British Grand Prix double points were probably not on the minds of many at Aston Martin. The team with a factory within walking distance of the historic Silverstone circuit did have Fernando Alonso starting inside the top ten in P9, but with Lance Stroll back in P18 it would have taken something special to get both drivers in the points.
That is exactly what they got.
Stroll was one of the first drivers to make the switch from intermediate tires to a set of slicks, pitting on Lap 6 under a Virtual Safety Car for a set of soft tires. Eventually, he wound his way up to P3, putting a podium on offer for the team. While he eventually slid back to seventh and Alonso finished eighth, it was a strong result for the team when they needed it.
“It was an intense and challenging afternoon in Silverstone with Lance and Fernando battling hard to score eight points between them [Lance P7 and Fernando P9]. We were fighting at the front, but our pace dropped off as the DRS was enabled and the track continued to dry. We probably switched Fernando to the dry tires a bit too early, but he managed to recover to the points,” described Team Principal Andy Cowell.
“Lance drove very well today: he didn’t put a wheel out of place. Given the pace of the car, P7 is a great result.
“In these rainy races, you often reflect and see opportunities where you could have done things differently – and most teams probably feel the same – but we can be pleased to get both cars in the points at our home race.”
The eight points the team banked at Silverstone pulled Aston Martin up to eighth in the Constructors’ Championship standings, level with VCARB on 36 points. Isack Hadjar’s sixth-place finish at the Monaco Grand Prix breaks the tie between the teams for now.
But Sunday at Silverstone, even if more was potentially on offer, was a solid day for a team that needed one.
Losers: Haas
A team that Aston Martin leapt over in the standings probably cannot wait to leave Silverstone behind.
This was a difficult weekend for Haas. Esteban Ocon was eliminated in Q2 on Saturday and while Oliver Bearman showed strong pace by getting into Q3 and qualifying eighth, he was sent to the back of the grid due to an accident under red flag conditions in FP3 on Saturday. That ten-place grid drop saw him start the race back in 18th.
He finished just outside the points in P11, with Ocon finishing in P13. Ocon came into contact with Liam Lawson on the opening lap, but was fighting for the points alongside Bearman in the closing stages when the two teammates came together. That effectively ended any chance of a result at Silverstone.
In the team’s post-race debrief, Team Principal Ayao Komatsu declared that the team “executed a terrible race today,” before addressing the incident between the teammates.
“On the incident with Ollie and Esteban today, well, our drivers’ touching is the last thing that should happen – but I looked at the onboard of both drivers, I spoke with them both, and for me it was a racing incident,” began Komatsu.
The Haas boss went on to say that the incident “just shouldn’t happen.”
“Again though, if you look at how they ended up in that situation, the pit stop timings for that stop were correct, so we pitted the lead car first. Ollie then went off in a high-speed corner, and that’s why he was behind his team-mate when Esteban came out after his stop. As Ollie had hotter tires than Esteban, we went for the overtake, but we shouldn’t have been in that position to start with,” said Komatsu. “It just shouldn’t happen, and when they had different speeds or strategies, we’ve been swapping them over, and they’re complete team players – they don’t argue, and they do the job straight away.
“It’s a racing incident, but we’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
And for those wondering no, this will not be the last time I use that photo of Bearman and Percy Pig. Not by a long shot.
Winner: Pierre Gasly
It has been a rather tumultuous season for Alpine.
After their surprise rise to sixth in the 2024 Constructors’ Championship standings, coming off a tremendous double-podium result at the São Paulo Grand Prix late in the season, they began 2025 with Jack Doohan as one of their two drivers. But with Doohan struggling to begin the season he was replaced after the Miami Grand Prix by 2024 Williams supersub Franco Colapinto. But last year’s phenom has not been able to replicate his 2024 success and Sunday at Silverstone was no different. Colapinto qualified 20th, started on pit lane after the team made changes to his A525 overnight, but his day ended before it began due to an issue with the car.
Oh, and Doohan was not the only team figure replaced after the Miami Grand Prix. Team Principal Oliver Oakes tendered his resignation after that race, as his brother was arrested and faces criminal charges in the United Kingdom for “transferring criminal property.”
Along the way, the team’s other driver, Pierre Gasly, has simply kept his head down and focused on driving.
Gasly delivered a tremendous performance on Sunday, starting eighth and finishing sixth. It was a result few saw coming, including Gasly, as the team seemed to be on the back foot heading into Saturday’s qualifying session. But Gasly fought his way into Q3, took advantage of two grid penalties — to Oliver Bearman and Kimi Antonelli — to start eighth after qualifying tenth, and fought hard to the checkered flag to bring home eight hard-fought points for the team.
“It is an incredible result for the whole team to finish in sixth place. I don’t think we expected to be in that position after our Practice sessions, so credit to everyone for their effort this weekend. It’s made even more sweet that it’s at Silverstone, the home race for Enstone, with so many staff members here watching in the grandstands. It’s a great boost of motivation for everyone, so I am very happy,” began Gasly in the team’s post-race report.
“We took the risks and it paid off with the right strategy calls and great pit-stops. I am looking forward to being at the factory this week to continue the hard work and hopefully seeing some smiles tomorrow morning!”
Senior Advisor Flavio Briatore, who assumed the role of Team Principal after Oakes’ departure, had nothing but praise for Gasly after his P6.
“It is a good result today for the team and a great drive by Pierre in difficult conditions. It is nice to score points at the team’s home race, which is good for the whole team and the morale after some difficult races. With how we started the weekend, points didn’t look possible, so well done to the team for turning it around,” said Briatore.
Results elsewhere on the grid kept Alpine mired in P10 in the Constructors’ Championship standings, but it is important to remember how quickly fortunes can change in Formula 1.
After all, Alpine was ninth when the grid arrived in Brazil last year for the São Paulo Grand Prix.
Winner: Lando Norris
The Canadian Grand Prix looked like a low point for Lando Norris.
The fight everyone knew was coming since pre-season testing in Bahrain arrived, and McLaren looked like the dominant force on the grid. While it was not a fight for P1, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri battled for P4, and an advantage in the Drivers’ Championship race, in the closing laps of the Canadian Grand Prix.
Norris came out on the wrong end of that fight, making contact with the rear of Piastri’s MCL39 in the process and losing not just his rear wing, but his chances of finishing the race. Piastri went on to finish fourth and Norris was left to walk back to the garage out of the race, and issue an apology to his teammate, and his team.
He left Montreal 22 points behind Piastri and, perhaps more worrisome, suddenly Max Verstappen was just 19 points behind him in his rear-view mirror.
But that Canadian Grand Prix low point is now in all of our rear-view mirrors.
All Norris has done since then is respond emphatically. He was the quickest driver from the moment he climbed into the MCL39 at last week’s Austrian Grand Prix, topping the timing sheets in practice, taking pole position in commanding fashion, and driving away from the field to take the win at Red Bull Ring.
Then he arrived in Silverstone for his home race, in front of adoring fans seated in a grandstand bearing his name, and came home with the trophy he wanted most. As the driver put it on Thursday “I think it’s tough to ever put something above Monaco, but I said it before Monaco that if I could win anything, if I could swap all race wins for one, it would be for a Silverstone win,” said Norris during the FIA Press Conference on Thursday.
Still, there will be detractors. We will get to Piastri’s penalty in a moment, but his McLaren teammate seemed in command of the British Grand Prix until that ten-second penalty.
Norris himself paid tribute to Piastri after the race.
“But I mean, it was a good race for Oscar as well. I’ve got to give my credits to Oscar. He was fast the whole way. So yeah, a round of applause for Oscar because he put up a good fight, and I enjoy those moments together when we’re on track. Not as much as when he’s ahead of me as when he’s behind, but that’s life. And yeah, so credit to him and of course McLaren,” said Norris trackside to Jenson Button after the race.
That praise continued into the press conference room.
“Obviously, I had a good race last weekend and [he and Piastri] had a good battle, and we got close, and I was looking forward to another good battle,” said Norris. “So, you know, I give my credit to Oscar at the same time because he drove an extremely good race.”
Still, this was a big one for Norris, a very big one.
“I mean, it means a huge amount. You know, at the end of the day, being on top in your home race is very, very special,” Norris described after the race. “And I said in some of the other interviews, you know, this is where it all started for me. I was watching on TV. I was watching, all those many years ago, Lewis [Hamilton], Jenson [Button], Fernando [Alonso]. I think it was, you know, that extremely wet race here, in 2007 or 2008. That’s when I really started watching Formula 1.
“And I think Lewis won, and I got that picture of him going around and seeing all the fans standing up, and that picture of what an atmosphere in Silverstone is like, and dreamed of that for many, many years,” continued Norris. “And today I got to live that feeling myself and see it through my own eyes. So pretty amazing, pretty special. A lot of people, from my friends and family, my brother, my sisters, my mom, my dad, my dad’s parents. Every person that I could have here is here. So, yeah, more special than ever, 100%.”
Norris has taken home some big trophies this year.
If he takes home the biggest at the end of the season, Sunday at Silverstone will be a huge reason why.
Loser: Oscar Piastri
At most races, it is hard to point to the second-place finisher and declare them a loser.
But the 2025 British Grand Prix was unlike most races.
Oscar Piastri dominated the opening stint of Sunday’s race, at one point enjoying a 15-second lead over Max Verstappen before a Safety Car session brought the field together.
Piastri remained in the lead during a second Safety Car session, but at the end of that period he braked just before the restart, which not only resulted in Verstappen overtaking him for a moment but also drew the attention of race officials.
While Verstappen spun after the restart and slid back through the pecking order, allowing Piastri to maintain his lead, race officials issued a penalty for a Safety Car infringement shortly thereafter. The verdict? A ten-second penalty for Piastri, effectively ending any chance at a win given the pace Norris was showing behind him.
After the race, Piastri could not hide his frustration.
“The pace was good, I did everything I needed to, just didn’t get the result I deserved,” said the Australian driver.
“I’m not going to say much, I’ll get myself in trouble. Well done to Nico, I think that’s the highlight of the day. I’ll leave it there.”
McLaren questioned the timing of the restart following the race, but Team Principal Andrea Stella noted all they and Piastri can do is take the penalty on the “chin” and regroup.
“We certainly gave our input to the race direction, especially related to the fact that we thought the Safety Car was called in relatively late. This didn’t give much space for the leading driver to actually take control of the group and go with the restarting procedure,” said Stella to Sky Sports F1.
“We think overall that the penalty has been harsh, but we will review the data. Like usual, we will see if there’s any learning from that. At the moment, there’s not much we can do. We just have to take it on the chin.”
“The Safety Car seemed like it was called in a bit late. The leader controls [the restart] ... I think Max accelerated, Oscar braked, which made it look worse than it was. The telemetry didn’t look like it looked on TV. But it is what it is,” said McLaren CEO Zak Brown.
“I think any time you get into these penalties, there’s an element of subjectivity. I think when they’re pounding on the brakes, they’re 130-140 PSI, so trying to get temperature in the tires, it’s wet, late call - a close one.”
Verstappen himself questioned the decision.
“I just find it strange that suddenly now Oscar is the first one to receive ten seconds for it,” said Verstappen.
Ultimately, the second-place result was enough for Piastri to maintain P1 in the Drivers’ Championship standings, but his lead over Norris was trimmed down to eight points.
With the second half of the season beginning later this month, and even with his teammate gaining momentum, Piastri has more than enough time to refocus on the fight at the front and maintain his lead over Norris.
But this is certainly a bitter pill to swallow.
The grid will go quiet for a few weeks, before heading to Spa-Francorchamps for the Belgian Grand Prix at the end of the month.
After Sunday, we might all need a bit of a break.