Oscar Piastri explains why Nico Hulkenberg is now the most ‘underrated’ F1 driver on the grid

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Despite being one of the longest-serving F1 drivers on the grid, Nico Hulkenberg has yet to claim his first victory in the sport. Nevertheless, Oscar Piastri sees the German as his most underrated rival currently on the grid.

The Formula 1 world rejoiced last season after the British Grand Prix, where Nico Hulkenberg finally claimed his first top-three Grand Prix finish after 239 attempts.

Even the F1 media centre cheered in unison after Hulkenberg crossed the line. The 38-year-old’s feat ended the longest podium drought in F1 history, with Adrian Sutil now reclaiming the moniker of having the most Grand Prix entries without a top-three finish.

The German driver’s previous streak was the result of a career that has seen him largely race in the midfield.

Hulkenberg was close to a move to Red Bull towards the end of Alex Albon’s tenure at the team, but Christian Horner opted for the in-form Sergio Perez at the time instead.

Now part of the official Audi F1 outfit, it is possible that the German constructor’s trajectory could enter Hulkenberg into a title fight in future years, and, according to Oscar Piastri, he could be one to look out for if they do become competitive.

• READ MORE: Nico Hulkenberg’s 2026 Audi contract contains clause that nearly bankrupted rival F1 team

Oscar Piastri names Nico Hulkenberg as the most underrated F1 driver

During a recent episode of Quad Lock Hot Laps, Piastri was paired with Australian cricketer Glenn Maxwell in a Q+A session.

One of the questions that popped up was the McLaren star’s thoughts on who the most underrated driver on the grid currently is.

“Good question,” Piastri replied, before adding, “I think for anyone that’s not in a quick car it’s always hard to… like some people are having the race of their life to get one point basically and sometimes you just never know about it.

“But underrated, I think Hulkenberg has always been a bit underrated throughout his career. He got his first podium [last] year, so I’ll go with Nico.”

Piastri was one of the drivers who joined Hulkenberg during his debut trip to the podium in Silverstone, finishing second to his McLaren counterpart and eventual world champion, Lando Norris.

F1 fans were disappointed with how Norris and Piastri treated Hulkenberg at the time, noting that they felt the Sauber driver should have been congratulated more for his impressive race.

However, the 2025 British GP was one of many key moments in the Australian’s title fight against his teammate, with Piastri feeling hard done by due to him being given a questionable penalty during the Grand Prix.

• READ MORE: Mattia Binotto backs Nico Hulkenberg to achieve one extraordinary feat with Audi’s F1 team

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Oscar Piastri also refused to name the F1 driver who is the hardest to overtake

Another one of the questions that Piastri fielded regarded who he feels the hardest driver on the grid to overtake is.

The nine-time Grand Prix winner was more reluctant to answer this question, replying, “Oh, I mean, everyone’s a bit different. There are some people who are more aggressive than others.

“There are some that are just more tactical than others, like, there are some you just know you’ve got to give a bit more space to.

“And then there’s some that you know they’re like you kind of got to be you got to execute your move well, otherwise they’re going to make you pay for it. So I mean picking one is hard.”

After being told by Maxwell that he is being “very coy” in his answer, Piastri explained why, “Yeah, picking one is hard. I also don’t want to let them know that I think they’re hard to overtake!”