Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg finally finished on the podium for the first time in his long Formula 1 career and Max Verstappen was the first driver to congratulate him on his achievement

Nico Hulkenberg finished third at the British Grand Prix(Image: Andrea Diodato/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Max Verstappen showed his class by immediate congratulating Nico Hulkenberg on his first ever podium in Formula 1. Sauber driver Hulkenberg, 37, had never finished inside the top three after 239 race starts in his long career.

But amid the rain-fuelled chaos of Sunday’s British Grand Prix, the German prevailed and took home the trophy for P3. What made Hulkenberg’s performance even more remarkable was the fact that he’d started the race at Silverstone in 19th position.

After driving past the chequered flag in front of a raucous British crowd, who were also celebrating Lando Norris’ first win at his home circuit, Hulkenberg received a gesture from reigning world champion Verstappen. The Red Bull driver got level with Hulkenberg and was seen giving him a thumbs up before pumping his first.

In a post-race interview with Viaplay, the 37-year-old revealed: “Max was the first guy who came (to congratulate me). We (Max and I) go way back, you know, from karting days when we were teens.

“I think we have a lot of respect… I mean, I have a lot of respect for him, you know – what he does, what he stands for. A great human being.”

Verstappen also told reporters about Hulkenberg: “Yeah, fantastic, I’m really happy for him. Yeah, it was very nice to see because when you’re in F1 for such a long time and you have not been on the podium, and being so close a few times, I think this is pretty special for him.

“I think for Nico, I think he’s quite relaxed in that sense. He knows what he can do. He has shown that in the past, before Formula 1 and in Formula 1, but for whatever reason, it didn’t work out up until now.

“He’ll take it and he will be very happy, but I think he knows how good he is. The podium does not suddenly say that you are a lot better. It’s just really nice for him to at least be on an F1 podium.”

Hulkenberg made his F1 debut with Williams in 2010 but a decade later he found himself without a seat. In 2023, Haas offered him the chance to return and he spent two years with the American team.

Ahead of this season, Hulkenberg joined Sauber, who’ll become Audi next year. His podium finish also means that Sauber have scored more points than Verstappen’s once-dominant Red Bull (35 to 29) in the last four races.

“It’s been an emotional rollercoaster this weekend, being virtually last [on Saturday], so a pretty bad day to one of the best days of my career – it’s obviously a lot to take in,” Hulkenberg added.

“That race was intense, with all the changes of conditions, it was sketchy. A high-speed track with changeable conditions is never easy. While I’m happy and relived, I’m mostly tired, and looking forward to getting home, to be honest.”