When he crossed the line at the end of lap 52 with Silverstone, Nico Halkenberg took off the unwanted record and replaced it with a much more positive record.
The Germans were most comfortable holding the Formula 1 record without a podium finish in Formula 1 history. When the checkered flag fell, that record returns to Adrien Still at 128, with Halkenberg able to boast the longest run before securing his first podium with a 239.
To put his latest achievement into context, Hulkenberg took over from Carlos Sainz as the longest waiting for his first podium, with Sainz achieving the results in his 101st start.
At 37 years old, at 10 months and 17 days, he became the oldest driver to score the first podium since following George at the Spanish Grand Prix 52 years ago in 39 years and 3 months and 10 days.
But for all the statistics, it was the response of the Silverstone crowd that really showed that it was a special achievement for Hulkenberg. Despite Lewis Hamilton chasing after him and trying to secure his first podium in the Ferrari Red, the noise that Halkenberg appeared in the third step was amazing in front of his adorable fanbase.
“It’s been a while,” Hulkenberg said after leaping out of his Sauber. “But I always knew I had it within us. I had it somewhere. So it’s a race to be practically the last one and start over again from last weekend. Honestly, it’s pretty surreal.
“I don’t know how that happened, but obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of races. I think we were really at it. The right call, the right tyres were the right moment. There was no mistake.
“I think he probably denies it all the way to the final pit stop. And when I heard that Lewis was a pretty big gap in one lap, I thought, “OK, this is good, this is good, this is some breathing space.”
“Obviously he thought he was going to give it all to him here in front of the crowd of his house, and I was like, ‘Sorry, but that’s my day, I have to stick my neck out.’ And I am very happy.
Hulkenberg and his stakesauber team celebrate. Kym Illman/Getty Images)
When I thought it was energy from the crowd, Sauber’s garage was eye-opening. When Hulkenberg returned to celebrate with his team, he was at a party that leapt to the song “Frued From Desire” and turned to “Nico’s On Fire” and welcomed the first podium of his Swiss-based outfit in 13 years.
Sauber COO and CTO Mattia Binott kept watching the celebration briefs for great lengths, but he sneaked into the garage and tugged a very large cigar from his pocket to Halkenberg with a smile.
His team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, described the performance as “one of the best I’ve ever seen in a driver,” but another team member suggested there was an additional reason to prove that the results were extremely popular.
Jose Manuel Lopez Garcia, a race engineer at Gabriel Boltreto, sums it up perfectly, saying it’s a reminder for those who don’t give up on putting everything in the sport and not giving up, but they can still pay back what they deserve, even if they feel that won’t happen.
Mixed weather sought the biggest run, and Hulkenberg did so perfectly. Andy Horn/Getty Images
And it resonates with Halkenberg’s peers on the grid, whether they stand on the podium or take victory and win a championship they’ve won multiple times.
“It’s his first podium, so I’m very happy for him,” Fernando Alonso said. “I hope he’s enjoying today because I’m one of the best drivers on the grid and I haven’t had the chance to put the right car underneath it.”
Carlos Sainz explained that Hulkenberg is always one of the top five drivers in Formula 1. Even Max Verstappen praised the German after a fierce run from Paul to fifth place.
“Great, I’m really happy for him,” Verstappen said. “When you’re in Formula 1 for a long time and not on the podium, but just a few times so close, I think this is a pretty special moment.
“Nico, I think he’s very relaxed in that sense, right?
“So certainly he’s going to take it and he’ll be very happy, but I think he knows how good he is anyway. The podium doesn’t say you’re getting too good.
Despite his own frustrating day, Verstappen was one of the first to congratulate the Hulk. Andy Horn/Getty Images
And the way Hulkenberg finally broke through it was even more remarkable. The 19th spot was the lowest starting position to win the podium from Sauber history, and among all the celebration scenes he had a hard time figuring out how it happened.
“From the massive low to almost the last one yesterday to literally on the grid, this result, it’s kind of surreal,” admitted Hulkenberg. “It’s going to take a few days to handle everything and bring it all in. The good news is that there are two weeks to enjoy it and properly celebrate the next week before going again.
“I still remember how to do it (celebrate on the podium) – I used to do a lot with juniors and I had to wait quite a bit.
“After that, so many emotions, so many people come to you, so many positivity, so many congratulations. I’m just happy and relieved. But like I said, it will sink more in the next few hours and the next few days.
It’s the day that somehow Nico Fulkenberg finally stood at Formula 1 podium, with Rand Norris winning first home in front of a cumulative crowd of 500,000 at Silverstone over the weekend, and McLaren was the first two at the British Grand Prix in a quarter-century.
