Rosberg: Unbelievable Hulkenberg hasn't been on the F1 podium

StatsF1 shows that 37-year-old Hulkenberg made his Formula 1 debut at the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix for Williams. Since then he has made 227 GP starts as a full-time driver and also as a substitute during seasons, he did not have a full-time ride. Teams the German raced for include Force India (78 races), Renault (62), Haas (46), Williams (19), Sauber (18), Aston Martin (2) and Racing Point (2).

In that time he has never finished in the top three, thus never celebrated on an F1 podium. For 2025 he will lead the Sauber morphing into an Audi F1 effort, where he will be teamed up with rookie Gabriel Bortoleto. The Swiss team opted for two new drivers to replace ten-time GP winner Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.

F1 World Champion turned pundit, Rosberg told Speedweek. “It’s unbelievable that Nico Hulkenberg has never been on the podium,. He was the biggest talent coming up in Formula 3, Formula 2, and showed glimpses of absolute genius in Formula 1, but somehow never lived up to that expectation.”

Reflecting on Hulkenberg’s performances in the 2024 season with Haas, Rosberg acknowledged the German’s impressive qualifying form: “This year, he really seems to be so special out there, maximising the car all the time. In qualifying, you would say he’s one of the best on the grid this year—it’s just amazing to watch.

“Of course, there are still question marks about his race pace and craft sometimes, but even there, this year, he’s done well," added the 2016 F1 World Champion.

When asked if Hulkenberg’s failure to secure a podium could be attributed to bad luck or a lack of opportunities in top teams, Rosberg dismissed the notion, suggesting that Hulkenberg bore responsibility for his own missed chances: “No. If you show that you are one of the best, you will get to the lucky car. And he just never really showed it.”

Rosberg also criticised Hulkenberg’s approach to team dynamics early in his career. “Nico Hulkenberg was not the best socially. Social intelligence, working on the team bosses to get yourself in the right position—he burned some bridges there early in his career. That was one thing he could have done better.”

“Sometimes he just wasn’t good enough, like Daniel Ricciardo beating him at Renault fair and square. And look at where Ricciardo is now. It turns out he wasn’t the very best either,” Rosberg referencing Hulkenberg’s struggles against the Australian during their time at Renault as teammates.

Hulkenberg is set to partner reigning Formula 2 champion Gabriel Bortoleto in an all-new driver line-up for Sauber, rebranded as Audi, in 2025. Despite Rosberg’s critique, many will be watching to see if Hulkenberg can finally break his podium drought in the new era of Formula 1.

The one podium Hulkenberg did celebrate during this time, on the top step too, was when he teamed up with Porsche to win the 2015 Le Mans 2024 hours, sharing the car with Britain's Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber of New Zealand. The German was driving for Force India in F1 that season.