After 239 races, Hulkenberg finds a place on the podium

Immediately after the British Grand Prix ended, a Mercedes staffer ran across the paddock carrying a large paper bag with the contents in it clinking.

- Sandip Sikdar

A few minutes later, an Aston Martin employee did the same. Both were heading to the end of the pitlane to deliver champagne bottles to Sauber.

It’s customary for teams to keep the bubbly for celebration, but Sauber had last achieved a podium finish way back in 2012. Besides, Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg started 17th and 19th, and that meant even the Hinwil-based outfit wasn’t expecting much cheer.

But against all odds, Hulkenberg surprised his team, the paddock and himself as he took the chequered flag by coming in third, ending his unwanted record in Formula 1 — 239 races, 5,593 days and eight team switches that it took the 37-year-old to finally end his wait for a podium finish, having made his debut way back in 2010.

"I don’t think I can comprehend what we've just done. It feels good. It's been a long time coming, hasn't it?” said Hulkenberg after euphoric pitlane celebrations. “I always knew we have it in us, I had it in me somewhere... it’s pretty surreal, to be honest.”