Nico Hulkenberg ALMOST got a Podium ______ Times

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The Nico Hulkenberg rumour mill is in overdrive right now. But, "he never scored a podium." That's the biggest criticism people seem to level at him. So, I wanted to look deeper into that. Analyse each time he came closest to getting a podium, and what circumstances prevented him from sitting on those steps.
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#tommof1 #Hulkenback

[@TommoMcCluskey]

So which opportunity was the most realistic? For me, Bahrain 2014. If he keeps Checo behind him, and doesn't bottle that move on Massa, he gets the P3. Mystery F1 KZbinr link as per, so say ello kzbin.info/www/bejne/bl7Kh2WplsaoaZI

[@dontevenknowgaming8520]

They did race in Abu Dhabi as it has been on the calendar since 2009 but during the 2012 calendar it was actually round 18 out of 20

[@vinicio.desouza]

Agree mate. At some point at the restart, when Rosberg was attacking Hamilton, we can see Hulk pulled alongside Checo to try a move, but of course it didn't work.

[@f1clipsarchive]

Has to be Brazil 2012 for me. He was in prime position to win that race if it weren’t for the two mistakes he made.

[@alastairjones0]

I believe Hulk was experiencing hybrid issues in Bahrain 2014?

[@Utopian_Futures]

Hockenheim 2019, Baku 2017, Interlagos 2012, Bahrain 2014 and probably multiple other. Most times it was himself throwing podium away and not technical failures

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Baku 2017 was one I missed, but it's a good shout. Crashing on his own out of P6, given how that race was playing out, is a big 2 litre bottle.

[@lewis8552]

Baku 17 I think is a bit of a stretch. Renault just didn't really have as much pace as the Williams that weekend and when he crashed I believe he was behind Magnussen who's car was probably similar in pace. A bottle for good points no doubt but not for the podium.

[@Utopian_Futures]

@@lewis8552 well sometimes you have to overpace your car scoring better results despite your car not having the best pace. That’s what makes a better driver compared to just a solid driver. Perez scored 4 podiums with Force India 2014-2016. Hulkenberg being his teammate during those seasons didn’t score any podium.

[@adampetten5349]

@@Utopian_Futures Attrition is not overpacing. The 2017 Renault was slower than any Perez car but the 2019. Norris is the only Midfield driver who will podium this year. McLaren and Alpine are way ahead of the other Midfield cars. Hulkenbergs 4th places were from attrition. Perez's pre RedBull podiums the same.

[@f1david995]

I would rather say Baku 2018 than 2017 because that race, the Renaults were having similar pace on Red Bull, and he was in 5th position before he got a puncture crash.

[@kieranfox5639]

Honestly, while I like Nico I've always seen him as a driver with a really high floor but a low ceiling. He's always consistently good and often very good, but never great. A name that often comes up in the midfield and doesn't at all above that

[@TommoMcCluskey]

It's that consistency that Haas find appealing IMO

[@berryryder9175]

@@TommoMcCluskey Can the consistency be an argument at all these days though? Hasn't raced full time for 3 years now and the 2 races he did subbing for Seb he finished dead last in Bahrain and 2nd to last in Saudi, only ahead of Lance Stroll. Rest behind him were DNFs. I don't think the consistency can be argued considering he's been out of the sport 3 years. It will take him a solid half of the season if not more to get back to speed, that is if he even is as good as he was in 2019 at the least. Which I doubt anyway

[@BL4K_B4BIES]

@@berryryder9175 he beat lance as sub though. And a p3 as a sub

[@berryryder9175]

@@BL4K_B4BIES beating only Lance should not be an achievement. And also, what p3 are you talking about?

[@tayuno]

@@berryryder9175 To be honest, the two races this year - new regs without all the pre-season testing time. Dude jumped into the new spec cars basically blind. Still did a good enough job imo. The times where he did sub in at Racing Point with the old spec cars without having driven for quite some time were either pretty good or absolutely phenomenal. P3 in Quali Silverstone 2020? Did y'all forget? He needs some time to get used to the new regs. And he'll get that time in pre-season testing and perhaps even this years post-season tests. If he feels comfortable enough, he'll be back to his usual, consistent self, occasionally outperforming the car he has, even if he bottles great finishes like a podium. He was still great enough to have been Best of the Rest the past few seasons he raced.

[@lewis8552]

I think one that was missed was Brazil 2016. Was running ahead of Perez and had better pace but after the Red flag that Kimi caused he picked up a puncture under the safety car that dropped him to the back of the pack. Hulk would come back through the field to finish p7 whereas Perez got p4 and the chance to fight for p3.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Good shout that

[@anameyoucantremember]

True, but Perez only had the chance to **defend** P3, not really fight for it. And he almost managed to do it if not for a certain young Dutchman that was doing magic that day. So I think if roles were inverted, Hulk would also lost the podium to Max.

[@lewis8552]

​@@anameyoucantremember Maybe, but he was also faster than Perez so could also say he would more likely have been further up the road. That way Max might not catch him in time. Its moreso not even having that chance to defend for the podium just because of a puncture which was unfortunate.

[@leewat9068]

Just so sad Nico didn't have a full time drive in 2020, the year when midfield teams were capable of scoring podiums. I am confident he would snatch a podium if he was retained by Renault or driving for Racing Point. The timing he was dropped by Renault was just so unlucky😢

[@TommoMcCluskey]

It's a very good point

[@f1david995]

I have always thought about this. 2018, when it was his best season with Renault, the gap between top and midfield teams were massive unlike these days. 2018 and 2019 had only two or less midfield podium finishers. Hulkenberg has had unfortunate timing.

[@leewat9068]

​@@f1david995Absolutely. In 2020 although Mercedes were clearly dominant, because of Ferrari and Albon's struggles, the other teams had much more chances to finish on the podium if any Mercedes driver or Max had a bad weekend. In 2018/19 the gaps between top and midfield were huge that the maximum result you can get is P7.

[@owendale8500]

I really hope Spa 2016 is included - often forgotten he was running second when Mag crashed, pitted under safety car before a red flag was then thrown. Gutting!

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Yep, what could have been if they didn't pit him. Although the likelihood of Lewis catching him anyway, was probably pretty likely.

[@owendale8500]

@@TommoMcCluskey He was lapping faster than Ricciardo though before the accident - also had they not thrown the red flag and kept it a safety car, he'd have gotten a free stop.

[@methanoid]

@@TommoMcCluskey I was there, birthday treat from family. I wanted Lewis to do well but Hulk is, I believ, just a very talented driver with appalling luck. Remember how long Kimi went without a win when he was in a Ferrari ;-)

[@sthfw]

All I got from this was he’s done a good job with the machines he’s had.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Pretty much 😅

[@aok2075]

Until Checo came and got a couple podiums in the same car

[@Connorcady0803]

So you watched this entire video and arrived at the two conclusions: none of it was his fault and he maximized each car he sat in? What?

[@BreadPitt7]

A “good” job. Nothing more.

[@Brossano22]

This record is also a sign of his skill. Even without podiums, he stayed soo long in F1. Just unlucky and no strong enough cars...

[@lewis8552]

Yeah, even with the rumours he could potentially comeback shows how he is rated in the paddock. People in the know understand the potential reasons it hasn't happened and can look at the results he's gotten with the machinery hes had. The podium fact is usually tossed around by people that don't pay too much attention to what's happening in the midfield imo. The fact is he's made a career out of F1 by his talent and not being a paydriver, not many people can say that.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

He only had the 4th best car once. Otherwise it was always around 5th/6th/7th. You're always going to need luck, when you're in that kinda machinery.

[@MisiekgamerYT]

@@TommoMcCluskey Yep + to be absolutely honest his podium chances were always extremely circumstantial - Brazil 2012 yeah a mistake but many committed these that day, Bahrain 2014 bad luck with machinery, 2016 Monaco, Spa and Brazil no mistakes just bad luck with the races outcome, 2017 Baku yep, a mistake (again, not a clear opportunity but a circumstantial one), 2017 Singapore bad luck with machinery, 2018 Baku driver error (once again - not a clear pace of a car, just circumstances), 2019 Hockenheim driver error but overestimated by many - nearly all of the top drivers went out that day, so yet again, more like circumstances rather than weak psychology. Lastly, do we really believe a man with a stunning run in GP2 and 24h Le Mans is weak psychologically? Or do we like to say so, cause it is the easiest way of seeing things in motosport which is an utterly complex sport.

[@shineautomotive]

I love him as a driver I so wish he’d had more success because from a personal point of view he manages his self extremely well . one hard working man

[@TommoMcCluskey]

No doubt

[@danieljdtaylor]

Germany 2019 was absolutely heartbreaking, it just felt like it was meant to be at his home race! I damn near turned off the tv after that shunt

[@Bertholdowitschki]

When it comes to Brazil 2012, don't forget that a Safety Car (which was rightly deployed I think) brought Nico into the situation where he cracked under pressure. That cracking was obviously his own fault, but he was unlucky that the Safety Car came out. I am quite sure that he would have gone to the podium without that, and I think that was the most realistic moment for a podium and a career defining moment. Concerning Bahrain 2014, I don't think that that was the most realistic opportunity for him. Perez started 4th, Nico started 11th. At some point Hulk was stuck behind Alonso whereas Sergio was in clean air. I think these two facts made it impossible for him to get a podium that day.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Fair points well made Berthold 👌

[@tilon5802]

I think nico likes those "weird analogies" because hes a german speaker, and he just translates those to english

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Well I think they're great. Weird, but great.

[@areebsiddiqui758]

How did you forget Baku 2017? He crashed on his own running P6 at the time in an insane race of attrition. Hulk had the chance to grab a podium on a day where many others faltered. Still think Interlagos 2012 was his greatest ever opportunity and a huge bottle.

[@blaine319]

Huge doubt on 2017 Baku. Williams were quicker and it’s unlikely he would’ve kept up with Stroll. For reference, he was battling with Kmag prior to that who finished 41 seconds off of the lead, and was about 35 behind Stroll. Would’ve had to have been a miracle for him to get near the podium that day, especially with Vettel, Hamilton, Bottas coming back up through the field.

[@areebsiddiqui758]

@@blaine319 Maybe I got the years messed up then. I believe he was even closer in Baku 2018 when the Renault was a much better car.

[@blaine319]

@@areebsiddiqui758 nah you were right 2017 was when he was running P6. 2018 i dont think he had a chance either. he's def squandered a few opportunities, which sucks to see considering he is a very good driver.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

Was behind Magnussen on track, who finished P7 Yeah...

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Maaaaybe, quite a lot would have had to go in his favour mind you

[@elaldo2382]

It's pretty cool looking back. At the time I remember thinking that Perez/Hulkenberg is probably one of the best midfield team line-ups of all time. Nico, solid and consistent. Checo, a wildcard who can grab the unlikely results. No wonder Force India were 4th in 2015 and 2016.

[@krystofpapica4191]

No podium, but still a Le mans winner, tho. Enjoying rich lifestyle with a beautiful wife, expensive houses and cars. Still testing cars for AMR,... Quite fine resume. I think there isn't much more to ask for. For sure Hulk wouldn't be forgotten. Maybe don't have a podiums or race wins, but real fan of formula 1 knows that he is more than capable of it. There is still podium for him. In our hearts. Btw, great video Tommo. Keep it up. You're doing amazing.

[@TommoMcCluskey]

It's not all bad for him eh. 😅 Cheers Kryštof 🙌

[@hamza-chaudhry]

0:50 I miss the times where the wet truly mixed up the grid and midfield teams could genuinely compete against the top. Pole by a *whole second* in a Williams is insane.

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

Singapore 2017 is the most painful one

[@alsa4real]

Loved the Really3D reference in the squarespace sponsor spot.

[@surekhajadhav6064]

*Nico Hooolkennbeaaaaargg*

[@Nebula_Ultra]

Yeah but his hair has won every award under the sun.

[@thomasvleminckx]

I used to call him "the modern-day Heidfeld". Dead average. Unremarkable in every way, he just blends in the background (unlike Latifi, who is so bad he gets noticed), but reliable.

[@gonzogeorgism2712]

He should have won Interlagos 2012, he and the Force India were definitely the best package that day. History could be quite different right now if Hulk had won that day.

[@alastairjones0]

It’s really important to mention how taller heavy drivers were badly penalised during the first 3 years of the hybrid PU’s (2014-16) due to the minimum weight not being increased anywhere near enough. Nico was losing 3-4 tenths a lap to Perez due to their weight difference plus Sergio had more moveable ballast to use for setup. The fair weight rule of 2019 was way overdue.

[@keso_de_bola9174]

I think personally, Nico Hulkenberg really never had a chance. I think it's always forgotten how he performed in his A1 Grand Prix stint in 2006-2007, had quite a lot of wins with 6 consecutive sprint and feature wins in the season, 3 each.

[@mikulitsi1819]

I hope so badly that Nico can get back and prove others wrong

[@KJ28554]

I think that there is an element of skill that he needed to get a podium and it wasn’t just luck, still a great driver, but 2019 hockenheim springs to mind

[@TommoMcCluskey]

At the end of the day, if you're always in a midfield car, you NEED luck to have a shot at the podium

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

The race where Hamilton, Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, Bottas spun off? Literally every single driver from the top 3 teams this season spun that day lmao

[@KayJblue]

I wasn’t ready for the Really3D shout, that channel is hilarious.

[@jbaidley]

I think a driver with a smaller number of races under their belt can claim bad luck, but Nico was there long enough, with cars good enough (see his teammates who did score podiums) that it has to be considered a reflection on him rather than a reflection purely of bad luck.

[@wizzfizz6800]

Yeah but end of the day he did beat Perez in 2014 in points. Sainz in 17-18 in points. Beat Gutierrez, di resta and Palmer. Give him his flowers for being at least a damn good midfielder despite not having podiums … podiums don’t define greatness. He’s more of an analyst driver. He’s been praised plenty of times for his ability to seriously improve whichever car he was in over his career. Andrew green said in 2020 that his feedback directly fixed a lot in their car and made their pink “Mercedes” faster

[@chrismdb5686]

@@wizzfizz6800 It can absolutely be a case of both, he was never top stuff on the grid but at the same time carved out a good name for himself with his consistency in the midfield over the years. Not someone Ferrari, RB, or Mercedes should ever seriously look at, but a solid (and somewhat cheap) pair of hands for a midfield team looking to keep their noses clean for a couple of seasons. That all being said, I feel he's the wrong man for Haas right now

[@panner11]

The number of races is misleading though. It's usually pretty unlikely for a car not in the top 3-4 teams to score a podium. So that's the real sample to draw from, not all 180 races. Even a guy like Fernando Alonso had a 100 grand prix podium drought at one point. Bad luck can be a huge factor even after that many races.

[@YeiWay]

@@wizzfizz6800 he only beat Perez 1 season only to be defeated 2 and when he had a shot at the pink Mercedes he wasn’t even close to that podium where checo could manage to push for a win in that car, I think is just lack of talent, just that

[@wizzfizz6800]

@@YeiWay are you dumb? He managed to qualify 3rd and he was there last minute. He didn’t have all season like perez to learn and develop the car. Lack of talent? He literally outshined stroll so easily. He is literally a super sub, did you not see the last minute shit he pulled off at the Nurburgring ? Casual

[@SilverScarletSpider]

Nico is a humble and good bloke

[@lancelot_53]

I don't know if somebody saw it at this detail but I remember that after that P4 in Korea 2013 Nico raised his arms and started celebrating after the race

[@DKGaming123]

Man, Brazil was such a good chance for him to even get the win but it was just unfortunate for Hulkenberg.

[@jr13502]

Now we have Australia 2023 too

[@roelofbeukema814]

I remember watching Baku 2017 and seeing him crash, thinking he threw away a podium there. He was P6 behind K-Mag and Stroll and seemed to have pace. Stroll almost finished P2 so who knows where Nico could have ended up there. I do think Interlagos 2012 or Bahrain 2014 were his biggest opportunities tho

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Aye that's a good shout

[@SamuelSantos_]

14:17 I Remember that same weekend was when Italy was eliminated from the Euro Cup after losing to Germany on penalties, then F1 put out a tweet saying 'Not all Germans have had luck with penalties this weekend' referring to Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel's grid penalties

[@SubVet84]

Out of all the races, the fact that only a dozen qualify as times he had a chance, show the negativity is deserved.

[@tjitse3916]

Makes me suddenly wonder: how many have had a pole position without ever scoring a podium.

[@ianhershberger6376]

I think something that’s entirely missed is how close some other drivers are to the same feat. K-Mag will likely beat Hulk’s record in consecutive starts without a podium. And there’s other drivers that only have 1 or 2 throughout their career. Not that big of a difference comparatively. Plenty of other drivers who would’ve beat his record too were they given the same amount of time. He’s proven he can be on the podium, just never has. When driving machinery that shouldn’t be on the podium you require so many outside factors to go your way as well as being on it when the time comes to pull it off. Checo certainly doesn’t help Nico’s rep but I think it’s fair to say Checo’s ability with tires has kept him in fights he probably should’ve lost many a time.

[@that-plane-guy]

Melbourne 😭

[@thescranstation2notbetter509]

I remeber after the 2017 singapore gp christian horner came out saying they were extremely close to retiring danny so if it was a few mpre laps he could have got the podium

[@hamza-chaudhry]

1:13 Wasn't Stroll quite comfortably leading the race until he got damage or his tyres completely fell of the cliff, I don't remember? 2:53 I think you forgot one famous moment 11:38 Ricciardo's 2014 was actually amazing

[@tayuno]

To the Stroll thing, he was leading comfortably, but it was pretty much both of what you mentioned. His tyres did completely fall off the cliff, since he was pushing a bit too much (although he managed to extend the lead lap after lap, it just wasn't enough though) and after his stop, i'm pretty certain he must've picked up some damage somewhere since he never really had the same pace that he had at the start. He was comfortably the fastest man on track until the stop. That's at least all I have in my head about that, I'm not 100% sure. But logical thinking makes me come to that conclusion.

[@COMMONsenseAdvocate86]

People seem to forget that Pauly Di was a decent driver. Someone who could suddenly, fly around the track, and destroy everything during a race. At least having a handful of those during the season usually makes a big difference. It's Something Mick Schmcr hasnt done since Austria)... Or maybe not.

[@hendrik_j_k]

Nico musst be one of the most tragic figures in F1. He´s obviously massively talented and a hard working man. Such a shame that everybody reduces him to this no podium thing. Nico is just a very consistant driver, just look at the 2018 season. This man knows his place. If you are in a midflied car you want to hold on to every point that you gained.He has never really taken big gambles on strategy because he put the team first instead of chasing the records. I think he is a brilliant team player and a bloody good driver. Shame he wasn´t there the past 2.5 seasons...

[@faustinaadu2284]

Brazil 2012. I think any driver will not risk it, going down hill, on a greasy track with back - markers around you. Just play it safe and drive carefully. Hockenheim 2019 was a blower as well. Maybe if he had reversed out of the gravel, instead of bury it in the gravel because he floored the throttle, he might still have come out in the top 10, where they were battling it for 3rd place

[@marantamil459]

Brazil 2016 - Hulk was on pace to get a podium and ran over debris which gave him a puncture.

[@KumanoMTG]

I think it's worth mentioning that in Brasil 2012, he got a stop-n-ho penalty for causing a collision, which was the main reason he ended up P5 :(

[@farishanafiah8461]

I do think Nico needs to refine his race driving skill. I still remembered his Qualifying performance for British GP 2020 sitting in for Checo. It's super impressive!

[@Nebula_Ultra]

He meant "hanging like a cow ...that's been prepped for slaughter" And his tires were "peeling...like bananas"

[@Nebula_Ultra]

He also could've meant "slippery..like bananas " but I don't think so.

[@thefirely1439]

I feel like he is a good driver but their are so many other drivers that deserve a shot now. He had his day.

[@MH0763]

Although I do agree if I was haas I'd probably take him say they take Schwartzman and he goes on 2 be better than nico he isnt staying there any way past 2 years maximum he is a low risk option. If danny ric is willing to join next year u have nico and k mag fight it out for the other seat

[@Acebush99]

Bloody cracking video mate

[@TheDreserDeviant69]

I really feel bad for the Hulk. He was mad close two, three years ago in Germany when half of the grid did not finish the race . Rain was pouring like hell...He did not finish as i recall, but he was so close.

[@nl6carbon12]

suprised baku 2017 and 2018 wasnt included but other than that I think you did a good job :)

[@lorcandevon7143]

Really enjoyed this video!!

[@GipfelKreis]

Nico Hulkenberg was always one of my favourite drivers. And he is not as bad as some people make him. He regulary got best of the rest in the midfield machinery he had. Those performances were strong. But yeah, he did make mistakes when he had chances and sometimes his chances were crashed by bad machinery or strategy... But he made a pretty good job over the years. He is a reliable, quick driver who will get the points to help you to get a decent position in the constructors championship. The question is... what would have been happened if he has got the chance to get a seat at Ferrari, Mercedes or Red Bull? I'm sure he'd have a podium right now. And.. the Haas thing.. even i am a fan of Hulk, i'd say that it doesn't make any sense to put him into that car. He is quite old and Schumacher is young and constantly getting better. Schumacher deserves a chance and another year i think. It's hard to get points in the Haas right now but Schumacher is doing quite well against KMag the last races. Thanks for that awesome video and greetings from Germany! :)

[@LessGo7921]

As a Hulk fan since his rookie season, I’m ready to die inside some more 🫠 Imo his closet call of all was him almost being Lewis’ number 2 driver in 2017. Rosberg announced his retirement a couple weeks after he signed with Renault

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Bottas vs Hulk for that Merc 2nd seat is definitely a "What could have been" moment

[@gregmarcus3064]

This is why, we root for him to get a podium. plus such. good looking man.

[@BloodDerg]

This is just part of racing. Many people might not like it, but this sport is so on the edge that luck is a real thing. And it certainly isn't on Nico's side. Funny enough same could be said about Mick so far in his 2 years. If he crashes its always as big as possible, got multiple points chances ruined by team, reliability or damage. Outside of that factor he is incredibly quick, won le mans and still got a bunch of years left I'd say. (I still would not want him in the Haas seat because of Mick, there needs to be an 11th team on the grid I swear)

[@Shambley1]

I know this video is about hulk but I still had to correct my brain every time I heard Nico and automatically thought rossberg

[@SIXITHS]

3:47 - He also took out Kobayashi, who had both his and Sauber's best-ever starting position...

[@ssigeon]

magic alonso in the sponsored bit!! QUE GRANDE ERES MAGIC!!!!

[@Housestationlive]

actually nico was pretty good on first race in aston martin, he's driving style looks adapted to 2022's cars.

[@bzilla-d4i]

He's the modern day Jarno Trulli, except for the podiums

[@_RM99]

Streets won't forget Hulk in that beautiful grey Sauber in 2013

[@andrewbrinkworth1420]

Hulk is is one of my favourite drivers and would love to see him back in a car

[@robertwillson4095]

i know, i know Hooolkennbeaaaaargg, but i am still hoping Gene sticks with Mic!

[@CranberryAllen]

It's a stat that works against him unfortunately, something like Pole to Win ratio for Leclerc. In these cases it's better to see how many of podium opportunities did he have versus how many of those he bottled up himself. Same is the case with Charles. Once you do that, the numbers don't look that bad.

[@charlesjmouse]

FWLIW: I think Nico rarely had the car and rarely had the opportunity, but what really did for him was most of his career was spent under rules that heavily penalised big guys - having to drive with a compromised setup and the bigger teams knowing that cut down his chances considerably. He certainly had the talent... let's see if Haas can give him the car to shine - probably not!

[@Brossano22]

Paul di resta - underrated website!

[@IanTheMotorsportsMan_YT]

Nico has proven he can finish on podiums, but I think he is just unlucky and had some faults of his own

[@danort17]

From a German here: The name is Hülkenberg, not Hulkenberg. That DOES make a difference, u and ü are not interchangable! Would be great if you could correct the title...

[@bobateacuber7646]

Isn't ü interchangeable with ue? So Nico Huelkenberg would be ok?

[@TommoMcCluskey]

Done!

[@Morganox09]

@@bobateacuber7646 yes it is,but you shouldnt replace ü with u,but ue is fine

[@danort17]

@@bobateacuber7646 ue is basically just used in cases where ü is nit avaivable, like on old documents, or something.

[@danort17]

@@TommoMcCluskey Thanks mate!

[@Rethroned0]

nico is such a underrated driver

[@dtaylor9673]

The Hulk always squeezed the best performance out of any car in qualifying. But lost performance at the start, off the line... But now....modern F1 cars/clutches/start procedures and programs are much more consistent and reliable. So will Nico be better placed to score podiums? I would say yes. Give the Hulk another drive.

[@IDoAgri]

'Hanging here like a COW' is a common phrase referring to a dead cow hanging on a hook in the slaughter house or butcher shop. Falling off like bananas however is a strange one from Niko.

[@niconutz898]

"Otherwise I'll do....absolutely nothing!" :D

[@anameyoucantremember]

As with any other driver, luck plays a big role in F1 careers. Some have very good luck (Lewis), others have very bad luck (Alonso). The difference is that, no matter what kind of luck you have, you have to grab any chance to shine, however small it is, and I think Nico just wasn't able to do that. You can surely blame his luck (because he's had it pretty bad), but ultimately not having podiums is mostly because he botched when he had the best chances.

[@Actul_Trap]

Yeah, some of the smaller chances at a podium might have been to blame for bad luck, or the lack of car pace, his bigger chances were very much screwed up because of him. Still think that it was criminal to drop him though, especially after he showed up with that P3 quali in the 70th anniversary go.

[@anameyoucantremember]

@@Actul_Trap Well, yeah, he is infinitely better than some of the drivers who had seats in 2020 and 2021.

[@SirGingerOfKnight]

Honourable mention for Palmer at Singapore 2017 The finishing time gaps does not tell the full story at all, and a terrible pit stop from Renault (ALSO calling him in a lap late) cost Palmer a podium in that same race. Bottas getting 3rd in that race was entirely "right place right time".

[@KlaximumSkroeft]

8:21 You ever seen footage of an abatoir? Cows be hanging....

[@xboxvolley360]

Seeing the 2016 monaco podium picture thinking, why isn't Ricciardo smiling? Then I remembered why...

[@Duval-In-The-Wall]

Get Hulkenberg in the Red Bull, he’s currently outqualifying Perez lmao

[@ttwkaOo]

the fact that this video is 22 minutes long is painful on its own. poor nico

[@andreasclano4191]

brazil 2016 he also got a shot, until a debris from raikkonen crash broke his front wing

[@tomthorpe1701]

Minor correction - 2012 wasnt pre abu dhabi its just it wasnt the final round

[@olicody6792]

One of the most underrated and under appreciated drivers I can think of

[@welloffthepace3127]

Close but no cigar… or as the Hulk might say… Almost but no cauliflower

[@Kamo442]

The underdog I will always cheer for

[@mikulitsi1819]

5:30 Little correction here, pretty sure he didn't join back at P5 after the incident with Hamilton but was given a drive through penalty for it which then dropped him to P5 EDIT: Yeah just checked it, he rejoined the track in P2 but the penalty (which was deserved) ruined him

[@AIA_8]

He can get one today🤞🤞

[@sterq]

184 And counting, a stat most of can only dream about, because that would mean we would also be F1 drivers.

[@garrettbellinghausen8389]

Funny that people want Hulk to replace mick at hass but he raced with top teams yet never got a podium… not a good look

[@corpsecoder_nw6746]

Unpopular opinion: He should've not been greedy, taken that P2 in Brazil 2012, gotten himself in talks for the Mercedes seat for 2014 with that podium as leverage and then go on to do his 2013 magic.....

[@glenrobinson10]

It's very similar to the argument about Charles "bottling" pole positions. Is there an element of truth? Absolutely. Is it a constant fact? No chance.

[@itswais77]

3:57 kobayashi the one who survived that lol

[@mihalis_prs]

6:37 almost Bottas and Zhou , is that you ?

[@jimtzouvaras1458]

He lost the podium in brazil 12 because he got a drive through

[@wizzfizz6800]

Yep no one ever brings that up . Literally

[@lewis8552]

Probably be a 5 second time penalty nowadays

[@jimtzouvaras1458]

@@lewis8552 the drive through was really harsh

[@kyesparks277]

this is devastating

[@videogamevalley7523]

I guess every unknown that can happen, happened.

[@Housestationlive]

i already have a website, but thanks.

[@pomsforthewin87]

Races not mentioned here are Baku 2017 and 2018. He was a real bottle job at Baku. 2017 he was not too far behind Stroll after the final SC, and could have challenged him for a podium but he clipped the wall at the castle section. 2018 he was battling the RedBulls early on, but crashed. Without this, and with the RedBulls taking themselves out, he could have got a podium instead of Perez. And then 2016 where Perez was on for a podium all race long and Hulk was... nowhere.

[@petercsontos5611]

Not gonna lie. The Alonso quote actually made me check out Squarespace

[@pierzak3680]

In Korea 2013 he did have a chance for the podium as grosjean was in front so an crash would yield it to nico huuuuulkenbergh!

[@ardaakin2658]

Germany 2019 is just pure pain