As a Formula 1 veteran still without a win or podium, Nico Hülkenberg holds some unwanted records in the premier class of motorsport. The 36-year-old Haas driver from Emmerich set a record with the Grand Prix in Suzuka.
Nico Hülkenberg will probably end the current Formula 1 season without fulfilling his big dream of the first podium in the premier class. The Haas F1 Team will fall far short of its own expectations in 2023.
“Hulk” has not yet been granted more than a sixth place in the sprint race in Austria and a seventh place in Australia. With just nine championship points, the Emmericher is only in 14th place in the drivers’ standings. Teammate Kevin Magnussen is 18th at the World Cup. Even worse with three points after 16 of 22 races.
Hülkenberg, who mostly used inferior material in Formula 1, will have to be content with unwanted records for quite some time. With 197 Grand Prix starts without a win and without a podium finish, the only German F1 driver currently holds two prominent records, which he will expand with each successive unsuccessful race.
Hülkenberg got rid of this Formula 1 record
However, Hülkenberg broke an unpleasant record at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. McLaren driver Lando Norris took fourth place in Suzuka – and now has 543 F1 career points without ever having won.
In the category “Driver with the most World Championship points without a Grand Prix victory,” Norris is now ahead of Hülkenberg, who has 530 points in his Formula 1 career.
Norris probably doesn’t care about this record. Unlike Hülkenberg, the Briton has already been on the F1 podium ten times in 98 GP starts.
In any case, his record only applies to the unadjusted points ranking. If the change to the Formula 1 points system in 2010 is applied to the entire history of the racing series, the unpleasant record will remain in Germany.
Then ex-BMW driver Nick Heidfeld would be at the top with 727 points – ahead of Norris (543), Martin Brundle (536) and Nico Hülkenberg (530). Again no podium for “Hülk”.