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Nico Hulkenberg Opens Up on Fending Off Lewis Hamilton’s Late Charge at British GP

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Samriddhi Jaiswal | Last updated Jul 6, 2025 1:43 PM ET

Nico Hulkenberg pulled off one of the most impressive drives of his F1 career at Silverstone, holding off a hard-charging Lewis Hamilton to clinch a stunning podium in the 2025 British GP.

It wasn’t just the result that caught the eye — it was the manner of it. After starting deep in the field, Hulkenberg navigated a chaotic, rain-hit race to climb into podium contention. But the real test came in the final laps as Hamilton, spurred on by a roaring home crowd, slashed the gap.

Speaking after the race, Hulkenberg admitted he felt the pressure from the seven-time world champion.

“I was thinking he’s going to give it his all in front of his home crowd, and I was like, ‘sorry guys, but it's also my day’,” Hulkenberg said with a grin. “It was intense. The pressure was there. But we didn’t crack, made no mistakes, I’m super happy.”

The Haas driver, who finished third just a week ago in Austria, produced another flawless performance in tricky conditions. He credited the team for nailing the tire calls and staying calm under fire.

“It was a survival fight for a lot of the race,” he explained. “I think we were really on it with the right calls, the right tyres at the right moment.”

HE HAS DONE IT!

Nico Hulkenberg has FINALLY finished on the podium! For the first time in 239 starts and 15 years since his debut, the experienced German driver will get to stand on the F1 podium! At the start of the weekend, he had odds of 95-1 for a podium, and after starting… pic.twitter.com/UE0hTyPBYw
— Kym Illman (@KymIllman) July 6, 2025

For Hulkenber, who spent years chasing that elusive first podium and only recently ended the drought, it’s further validation. “I always knew we had it in us, I had it in me, somewhere,” he said.

Hamilton, meanwhile, had to settle for fourth in front of his home fans. But on a day when hulkenberg dug deep and refused to buckle, there was no denying it truly was the German’s moment.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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