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Gabriel Bortoleto: Nico Hulkenberg’s Unfair Wait for F1 Podium Despite Crazy Speed
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Highlights
- Nico Hulkenberg earned first F1 podium at 2024 British GP
- Hulkenberg’s podium came after 15 years and many missed chances
- Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto calls Hulkenberg “crazy fast” and precise
- Hulkenberg praised for strong qualifying and race craft skills
- Sauber’s team principal lauds collaboration between Hulkenberg and Bortoleto
- Bortoleto aims for quicker podium as he develops in Formula 1
Sauber rookie Gabriel Bortoleto hails teammate Nico Hulkenberg as “crazy fast,” calling his long wait for a podium unjust, after Hulkenberg finally finished third at the 2024 British Grand Prix.
Bortoleto argues talent rarely matched opportunity across Hulkenberg’s career in top-tier single-seaters, a dynamic common across elite motorsports where machinery and timing heavily shape results.
Missed chances include Brazil 2012, when contact with Lewis Hamilton erased a likely podium, and Force India seasons where Sergio Perez capitalised while Hulkenberg’s comparable pace went unrewarded.
Speaking on Beyond the Grid, Bortoleto labelled that trajectory “unfair,” while praising Hulkenberg’s persistence through lean years to convert when Sauber’s package allowed consistent points and a breakthrough result.
Hulkenberg’s first F1 podium arrived at the 2024 British Grand Prix, ending a 15-year wait.
The rookie credits day-to-day reference with Hulkenberg for accelerating his adaptation, calling him the fastest teammate he has raced and a benchmark in qualifying and race execution.
He highlights Hulkenberg’s precision, minimal error rate, and ability to contain time loss when slides or lock-ups occur, an asset with current ground-effect cars’ narrow operating windows.
Hulkenberg’s qualifying prowess remains a calling card, underlined by his rookie-season pole in Brazil, yet Bortoleto stresses his race craft has matured into consistent tyre and pace management.
Bortoleto: “He’s crazy fast and precise, rarely making mistakes lap to lap.”
Inside Sauber, team principal Jonathan Wheatley lauds the Hulkenberg–Bortoleto pairing as highly collaborative, a trait that improves correlation work, set-up direction, and execution across variable circuit demands.
The partnership also fits wider industry trends, with teams optimising processes ahead of the 2026 rules, where driver feedback and operational sharpness could swing midfield battles.
Wheatley calls it one of the most collaborative driver pairings he has seen.
Bortoleto targets a quicker route to silverware, while fans track progress at the best racing tracks this season as Sauber chases consistent points and podium contention.
Visual Summary
🥉
Podium AT LAST:
Nico Hülkenberg ends F1’s longest wait with his first podium at Silverstone — 15 seasons after debuting.
Nico Hülkenberg ends F1’s longest wait with his first podium at Silverstone — 15 seasons after debuting.
“He’s crazy fast. Unfair it took so long — but he kept fighting and finally got what he deserved.”
— Gabriel Bortoleto
— Gabriel Bortoleto
🏁
2012 Brazil:
So close, denied by collision.
2012 Brazil:
So close, denied by collision.
🚗💨
Bortoleto:
“No teammate has pushed me more.”
Bortoleto:
“No teammate has pushed me more.”
Talent + Perseverance = Victory.
Hülkenberg’s journey inspires a new generation at Sauber.
Hülkenberg’s journey inspires a new generation at Sauber.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.
