F1 record holder bizarrely claims podium-free streak reflects WELL on him

Nico Hulkenberg

F1 record holder bizarrely claims podium-free streak reflects WELL on him

Nico Hulkenberg said his F1's no-podium record actually speaks for his skills

Luis Raya

Friday 18 August 2023 16:57

Nico Hulkenberg holds the record for most races without a podium and he has bizarrely claimed that this unfortunate record actually highlights his racing abilities, given his enduring presence in the category.

The 35-year-old German made his Formula 1 debut with Williams in 2010, and an incredible pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix solidified him as one of the future prospects in the category.

Since then, despite showcasing race win-worthy talent and skills, he has never been able to secure a seat with a top-tier team, remaining stuck in the midfield and currently holding the unique record of the most races contested without a single podium finish, up to 193 races in a row.

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Prior to his official return in 2023 with Haas, Hulkenberg drove for Force India, Sauber, and Renault from 2012 to 2019. He finished fourth on three occasions and experienced numerous podium misses, often due to accidents, technical glitches, and frequently the errors of others.

After leading for much of the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix, Hulkenberg was out after being hit by Hamilton

Hulkenberg: There must be some good in there

"Obviously, when you start thinking about it that's a little bit frustrating," he admitted. "Because every racing driver back then and even now wants to win, ideally. But at the same time, I've never had the car. I've had good cars and also had opportunities to deliver the podium, but then for various reasons it never really happened. Never clicked and happened.

"And whilst not having the podium, I think if I would be so bad I would've not managed to stick around [for] 200 grands prix – so, there must be some good in there too somewhere."

"There is that and someone told me the other day there is this statistic 'most races without a podium'. But there is another statistic like 'most points without a victory or without a podium in F1' [Hulkenberg has 530, ahead of Sutil's 124]. My point is that statistic speaks for me, actually," said Hulkenberg to Motorsport.com.