Nico Rosberg sends heartwarming message to Nico Hulkenberg after securing his first F1 podium

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Nico Hulkenberg ended a 15-year wait as he finally stepped onto the podium in Formula 1 for the first time at the British Grand Prix.

The Sauber driver climbed from 19th on the grid to finish an incredible P3 behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. His result was certainly the most popular at the British Grand Prix, despite the crowd witnessing their home hero take victory.

Making his debut with Williams in 2010, Hulkenberg has come tantalisingly close to securing a podium on numerous occasions. Crashes at critical stages in races have denied him a top-three finish for all this time.

But on his 239th Grand Prix start, the German finally achieved his first podium. Sauber executed a perfect strategy, leaving Hulkenberg on intermediates while others gambled on dry tyres.

This propelled him and Lance Stroll up the field when the race was stopped several times under the safety car and VSC. After Max Verstappen spun on the restart following Isack Hadjar’s crash, Hulkenberg passed Stroll into P3, leaving him to fend off Lewis Hamilton.

Nico Rosberg sends congratulations to Nico Hulkenberg after grabbing his first F1 podium

The 37-year-old was put under pressure in the final stages of the race as a mistake with his last pit stop left him vulnerable to the Ferrari behind. But Hulkenberg put his neck out against Hamilton and bridged a strong gap to the seven-time champion as he struggled on slick tyres.

Eventually, 52 laps of Silverstone had passed, and the German brought his C45 home to finish third, behind the McLarens. The result puts Hulkenberg in the Sauber history books as he is now the driver to score a podium from the furthest grid position in the team’s history.

He is also the first Sauber driver to finish in the top three since Kamui Kobayashi at Suzuka in 2012. Unsurprisingly, several F1 drivers applauded the result, with Verstappen being the first to congratulate Hulkenberg in parc ferme.

Posting on his Instagram story, Nico Rosberg sent a brilliant message to Hulkenberg after his podium at Silverstone. The 2016 F1 champion raced against his fellow compatriot throughout the 2010s.

He wrote: “So well deserved! What a great example of a strong mindset, relentless dedication and belief in the long game. Herzlichen Gluckwunsch, Nico!” which translates to ‘congratulations’ in German.

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

Nico Hulkenberg finally gets his F1 podium – but it was almost taken away from him again

Despite Norris winning in front of his grandstand at Silverstone, all eyes were on Sauber and their magical result. Hulkenberg’s podium left the media centre cheering ‘in unison’ for the first time.

But F1 fans were disappointed by McLaren’s reaction as they did not spray Hulkenberg with champagne on the podium. Nevertheless, the German celebrated with Sauber in the garage as they move to sixth in the constructors’ championship.

But the result could have been very different. Stroll almost crashed into Hulkenberg during the race, as unseen footage shows the two banging wheels heading into Maggots and Becketts.

It could have been another heartbreak for the German, but thankfully, he kept his car on the track and marched to end a 239-race wait for a podium. He has now cemented himself in the top 10 of the championship.