Unseen Nico Hulkenberg moment shows how Lance Stroll nearly dramatically ended his British Grand Prix podium hopes

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Nico Hulkenberg finally ended his big Formula 1 duck by earning a first podium finish in 239 races at the British Grand Prix.

Much has been made about how long the German driver has had to wait for his opportunity to step onto the rostrum, and few predicted that it would be with Sauber.

Their recent car upgrades have helped to lift the 37-year-old to the lofty heights of ninth in the drivers’ championship, halfway through the campaign.

And Hulkenberg hoisted his Lego trophy jubilantly on Sunday, with a warm reception from the British Grand Prix crowd, despite beating home favourite Lewis Hamilton to the top three.

Unexpectedly, Hulkenberg’s ‘masterclass’ set a new Sauber record. He has a podium from the lowest position one of their drivers has ever started a race from (19th).

Even Max Verstappen sent an ‘amazing’ message to Hulkenberg and was excited to see him get his day in the spotlight, after 15 long years in Formula 1.

READ MORE: F1 fans left ‘disappointed’ by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after what they did on the British Grand Prix podium

Unseen Nico Hulkenberg moment shows how Lance Stroll nearly crashed into him at the British GP

The Silverstone leg of the season never fails to disappoint, and Sunday was no exception, with so much action up and down the field.

At times, it would have been easy for that action to be overwhelming, but Hulkenberg dealt with Lewis Hamilton’s ‘pressure’ well in front of a supportive home faithful.

Many would have put their money on the seven-time champion to chase down his rival in the closing laps, but even on softer tyres, the Ferrari couldn’t beat the Sauber’s pace by enough.

And it all nearly didn’t happen, with a risky overtake by Lance Stroll before a massive downpour nearly sending both drivers off midway through the race.

Journalist Diego Mejia posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) to show the incident and add his views on the close encounter.

“Credit where credit is due. Lance Stroll in his prime,” he said. “He was on soft tyres and Hulkenberg on intermediates, but didn’t mind overtaking by going over the wet kerbs in one of the fastest corners on the circuit.”

READ MORE: Nico Hulkenberg pinpoints what’s surprised him about ‘very impressive’ Gabriel Bortoleto this season

What’s going to happen to Nico Hulkenberg in 2026?

Nobody quite knows what the 2026 F1 regulations will bring, and the outlook is even more unpredictable at a team like Sauber.

With Audi about to take over the reins, it’s unknown what level of competitiveness their power unit or car will have.

Fortunately, they do have some sort of stability, as they will carry the same driver line-up into next season with Gabriel Bortoleto and Hulkenberg.

The latter of whom brings a wealth of experience from a variety of teams, which will be crucial to their charge and development push after the new rules arrive.