2025 British Grand Prix: Historic podium for Hülkenberg and Stake F1

By the end of this arduous, rain-drenched race, Bristol-born Lando Norris had claimed his first-ever British Grand Prix win, McLaren had ended a 17-year British GP drought, the longest in the team’s history, and Nico Hülkenberg had claimed his first podium in 239 race starts.

It was a huge weekend for the Stake Formula 1 Team, with the 15 points moving the team up the Constructors’ Standings and building off the 6 points secured at the Austrian GP in June, which included the first points for Hülkenberg’s teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto.

Typical British summertime weather set the scene for this historic Grand Prix. Moody grey skies hung over the famous Silverstone track and created a pre-race panic as teams made their predictions and tried to set their plans in motion.

A handful of drivers headed into the pits to switch to slicks during the formation lap, leaving the standing start looking a little sparse.

Polesitter Verstappen held onto his lead for the first lap, but Liam Lawson soon collided with Esteban Ocon and triggered a virtual safety car before voicing his displeasure through the team radio: “Who the hell was that? I’m out…whoever this Haas was next to me; he just drove straight into the side of me”.

Despite starting in 19th, Hülkenberg had worked his way up to 10th by the end of the virtual safety car, but as the German cut his way through the pack, fellow Stake F1 Team driver, Gabriel Bortoleto, spun off. The rookie managed an incredible career-best finish in Austria last time out, but couldn’t build on that this time around. He did manage to get the car back on the track, but there was ultimately too much damage, and he was forced to retire.

In the first few laps, most of the track was dry except for a few wet patches on the final turns. By lap 12, the British weather did what it does best and turned the track into a swimming pool. As the rain continued to pour, Piastri overtook Verstappen and opened up a sizable lead, Hamilton told his team that he was struggling with visibility and dropped a few places, and Hülkenberg continued his ascent through the field.

Nico was in fifth by the time the yellow flags began waving again on lap 14.

At this point, the heavy rain and constant spray from the back of the cars made it difficult for drivers, spectators, and even TV viewers to make sense of what was happening on the track. The safety car was then called out for the drivers’ safety, hoping to clear some water from the track.

On lap 21, Piastri stopped behind the safety car, a move that would later cost him a 10-second penalty, and as soon as the safety car went in, Verstappen spun and dropped down to 10th, pushing Hülkenberg up to fourth and giving McLaren a one-two.

With Stroll in his sights, Gasly and Hamilton behind, and the conditions creating poor visibility and traction, Hülkenberg put in one of the performances of his career.

Stroll had not finished inside the top 6 all season and had his own personal records to chase, but Hülkenberg stayed within touching distance. On lap 35, with DRS activated, Nico overtook the Aston Martin driver to enter the podium places, with Hamilton passing into fourth behind him.

The seven-time World Champion couldn’t keep up with Hülkenberg’s Stake F1, though. Nico kept the Brit at bay for the rest of the race and gradually pulled into a lead of half a dozen seconds. By the time the checkered flag waved, he had a comfortable five seconds on the multiple world champion and eventually crossed the line with his podium place intact.

Up ahead, Norris took his first British Grand Prix victory with his teammate, Piastri, in second for a McLaren one-two. As noted in our latest Formula 1 insights, these were the market leaders, so it was no surprise to see them cross the line in tandem (although most sportsbooks and punters expected Piastri to beat his teammate). Hamilton, Verstappen, Stroll, Gasly, and Alonso rounded off the top 8.

After crossing the finish line, Hülkenberg received a well-deserved cheer from the appreciative Silverstone crowd, but the biggest celebration was in the Stake F1 Team garage. The entire team worked hard during a very challenging Grand Prix weekend, and while the initial omens seemed as gloomy as the weather, they pulled off an excellent and memorable feat.

The Champagne and celebrations were in full swing in the Stake F1 Team garage after the race. The race marked Hülkenberg’s 239th start, and resulted in a finish that the team principal, Jonathan Wheatley, called the “most overdue podium in Formula 1 history”.

After all, Hülkenberg’s career stretches back to 2010 when he drove a Williams-Cosworth in the Bahrain Grand Prix. He qualified 13th and finished 14th that weekend, despite spinning off early in the race. He picked up his first points in race three of the same season after a 10th-place finish at the Malaysian Grand Prix, before repeating that feat at Silverstone.

Hülkenberg secured his first pole position at the Brazilian Grand Prix, the first for Williams in five years. That pole position made him one of the youngest polesitters in the sport’s history, and even now, 15 years later, he’s still 10th on that list.

When driving for Renault in 2018, Hülkenberg recorded his best-ever season, finishing 7th in the Driver’s Standings, but he scored more points when driving for Force India in 2016 and 2014, finishing 9th both times.

Pole positions and points were never an issue for the talented German. It was the podium finish that eluded him. In fact, prior to the 2025 British Grand Prix, he held the record for the most races (242) and starts (239) without a podium, despite picking up an impressive 608 points during his career and recording over a dozen finishes in fourth or fifth.

He also holds the record for the most points without a win and is 8th on the list of most laps led without a win. He’s not going away any time soon, though. The veteran driver, who turns 38 this year, still has plenty of time and races to clear some more records, add to his points tally, and give everyone at the Stake F1 Team another excuse to pop a Champagne cork or two.

Smiles all round in the Stake F1 Team garage. The Champagne was on ice, but not for long. Photo credit: Stake F1 Team KICK Sauber

Nico will go into the next Grand Prix with his head held high, and everyone in green and black will be behind him, encouraging him back onto that podium.

There’s a high chance you’re here because you like to bet on Formula 1 occasionally. So, considering we’re talking about a driver that did something very unexpected in coming from the back of the pack to get his first-ever podium, you’re probably wondering what those odds were.

Well, the average pre-race odds for Hülkenberg to finish with a podium place were 95.00 (94/1, +9400). That equates to an implied probability of a little over 1%. For comparison, the odds for Max Verstappen to finish on the podium were around 1.90 (10/11, -111), with an implied probability of over 52%.

The market leader finished second in the end, and the second favorite took the win, so Hülkenberg’s podium finish wasn’t just a big deal for everyone here at the Stake F1 Team; it was also a massive moment for anyone who had predicted that outcome! Hopefully, there were some Stake.com players who backed the German to claim his overdue podium place.

If you want to follow Hülkenberg and the Stake F1 Team in future races, check out all of our upcoming Formula 1 betting markets and see if you can find your own high-value wagers.

Hülkenberg isn’t the only one making an impact for the Stake F1 Team. Although Gabriel Bortoleto didn’t have the best of luck at Silverstone, the Brazilian clearly has the talent to get more points on the board and repeat his performance at the 2025 Austrian Grand Prix.

There’s nothing like a giant bottle of Champagne to celebrate a hard day’s work. He definitely deserves it! Silverstone was just the 12th time that the young driver has competed in a Grand Prix, but he is no stranger to competitive racing.

Five years ago, he was a regular podium fixture in Formula 4 and the Formula Regional European Championship, before going on to win the 2023 Formula 3 Championship, finishing two places ahead of current Stake F1 test driver, Paul Aron.

In 2024, Bortoleto won the Formula 2 Championship in a season that included a last-to-first victory at Monza, making him the first F2 driver to win from the back of the grid.

Bortoleto signed for the Stake F1 Team shortly after his F2 success. Alongside Hülkenberg, it means Stake F1 has an enviable blend of youth and experience, combining one of the sport’s most qualified drivers with one of its youngest talents.

After all, despite all of his achievements and promise, Gabriel Bortoleto is still just 20 years old and will turn 21 this year. To put that into perspective, if he were to claim a pole position within the next few months, he would be the youngest driver to ever do so.

The celebrations that erupted after Hülkenberg’s podium finish were about much more than celebrating the personal achievements and long-awaited success of one of the sport’s best-loved figures. It was the culmination of months of hard work and commitment in the Stake offices, work that began back in 2024 when we partnered with the Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake.

After announcing the Stake F1 Team back in January 2025, we began a transition and growth period. We wanted to offer something more than a simple partnership. It’s a collaboration built on a love of motorsport and a dedication to the fans that make it what it is.

We set out with the goal of creating memorable experiences using an approach led by innovation and focused on the global motorsport community, as well as our own members. Formula 1 is one of the world’s most prestigious sports and is hosted in some of the biggest and most impressive cities. We’re delighted to be a part of that, bringing our own brand of motorsport entertainment to each racing weekend.

In this case, we were able to celebrate a podium finish—the cherry on top of the race weekend for the Stake F1 Team. But even without those successes and the nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat performances that lead to them, we’re still happy to do our bit for the sport.

We’ll continue doing what we’re doing and will be giving our full support to the drivers and the whole Stake F1 Team during every race weekend. We’re only halfway through the 2025 Formula 1 season, so there are still many big races left to run and—hopefully—many more things to celebrate on the way.

Make sure you follow us on our journey. If you stick with Stake.com during each Grand Prix race weekend, we promise all kinds of fun promotions, insights, bets, events, and more. If you love Formula 1, stick with Stake!