Rosberg Brands Hulkenberg's Surprising Podium-Less Career 'Unbelievable' Ahead Of Audi F1 Move

Saajan Jogia | Jan 3, 2025

Audi F1 / Audi Press Image

Former F1 Champion and Sky Sports presenter Nico Rosberg has spoken about Nico Hulkenberg's extensive premier class career, which began in 2010 with Williams, noting his record for the most Formula 1 races without a podium finish. Rosberg called it "unbelievable" since the F1 veteran displayed remarkable success in Formula 2 and Formula 3. Hulkenberg joins the Sauber F1 team this year, a team that is set to be taken over by Audi in 2026.

Rosberg, however, noted that Hulkenberg's racing abilities was not to be questioned, but certain missed opportunities kept him away from a fast car in the sport that could have turned things around for him. Aged 37, Hulkenberg has started 227 Grands Prix thus far. However, his performance in the 2024 season marked a significant improvement from his 16th-place finish in the 2023 Drivers' Standings, climbing to 11th with a season-best result of P6 in Austria and the United Kingdom. Speaking about the German driver's F1 journey so far, Rosberg told Sky Sports F1, as reported by RacingNews365:

"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, [he] never lived up to that expectation, apart from again this year, where he really seemed to be so special out there, maximising the car all the time.

"In qualifying, you would say he's one of the best qualifiers from the whole grid this year, it's been amazing to watch.

"Of course, there's still question marks on his race pace and craft sometimes, but even there, this year, he's done well."

Rosberg revealed that Hulkenberg's inability to socialize and differences with certain team principals held back his progress. He even spent time on the sidelines from 2021 as a reserve driver at Aston Martin, which ultimately paved the way for him to secure a full-time seat with Haas in 2023. The former Mercedes driver added:

"If you show that you are one of the best, you will get to the lucky car, and he never really showed it.

"Plus, he was not the best socially, you know, social intelligence, working on the team bosses to get yourself in the right position, because he burned some bridges there, early in his career - that was one thing that he could have done better.

"And the other thing is that sometimes, he had these phases where he just wasn't good enough, like Daniel Ricciardo beating him in Renault fair and square.

"And look at where Daniel Ricciardo is. Turns out he wasn't the very best either."