Nico Hulkenberg told he would have ‘genuinely’ raced for Ferrari in Formula 1 if it wasn’t for one thing

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Nico Hulkenberg became the first German driver to finish on a Formula 1 podium since Sebastian Vettel at the 2025 British Grand Prix.

Sebastian Vettel secured 122 F1 podiums during his career, with his last one coming for Aston Martin at the 2021 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Nico Hulkenberg isn’t going to match Vettel’s record any time soon, but the entirety of the Formula 1 paddock was delighted to see him finish third at the British Grand Prix.

Max Verstappen led the tributes to Hulkenberg after the race, with Mercedes and Aston Martin donating bottles of champagne to a stunned Sauber team.

Hulkenberg ended up in a heated battle with Lance Stroll before moving into third, but suddenly he had Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari sitting behind him.

He used all of the experience he had gathered throughout his 239 Grand Prix to hold off the seven-time world champion, and by the time the final round of pit stops came around, he had already built up a sufficient lead to guarantee his spot on the podium.

Sam Bird was commentating on the race and was full of praise for the 37-year-old.

He explained why someone of Hulkenberg’s immense talent never got his chance at a top team like Ferrari or Mercedes.

READ MORE: Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg’s life outside F1 from wife to height

Nico Hulkenberg told his size is the ‘only reason’ he never drove for Ferrari or Mercedes

Bird was talking about the race for the Chequered Flag Podcast and explained his admiration for Hulkenberg.

He said: “Going back to Nico Hulkenberg himself if he was smaller in stature and weighed less. If literally, you placed his talent into my body, God, we’d be good!

“If he were in a smaller body, genuinely, there were regulations in place in 2011, 2012, 2013, in Formula 1, that really favoured that smaller, lighter driver.

“It’s not quite so bad now, but drivers had to be a certain weight.

“You saw drivers literally starving themselves. He’s a bigger guy, and that’s the only reason why he didn’t get big drives at Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, because he’s got the talent.

“And I’m so thrilled that he’s now got a little bit of silverware, it’s so cool.”

READ MORE: All you need to know about Scuderia Ferrari from team principal to factory

How Nico Hulkenberg missed out on being Max Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate

Hulkenberg now sits ninth in the drivers’ championship, which is unimaginable considering where Sauber were last season.

He and teammate Gabriel Bortoleto are preparing for Audi to make their Formula 1 bow, and the introduction of Mattia Binotto and Jonathan Wheatley appears to have worked wonders this year.

However, Hulkenberg’s career could have turned out very differently if one decision at Red Bull hadn’t been made.

Towards the end of the 2019 season, Red Bull were preparing to part ways with Alex Albon after a tough campaign alongside Verstappen.

Hulkenberg has admitted he was once an option for Red Bull, before they eventually went for Sergio Perez.

The German instead sat out of the sport, making the occasional appearance for Aston Martin, before eventually joining Haas.

His form during his two seasons with the Banbury-based team earned him his move to Sauber, which has finally seen ‘Project Podium’ come to a glorious end.