Nico Hülkenberg (Audi/9th) finally on the points: “That was long overdue!”

At last, at last – Nico Hülkenberg’s first points of the season! After a string of setbacks, bad luck and mishaps, things finally went the 38-year-old German’s way at the Hungaroring; starting from 10th on the grid, the Emmerich native finished 9th in the 260th Formula 1 Grand Prix, his first points-scoring finish since Abu Dhabi 2025, when he (still driving for Sauber) also finished ninth.

The 2015 Le Mans winner came within a hair’s breadth of snatching 8th place from Liam Lawson just before the finish. A visibly relieved Nico Hülkenberg can be seen in the Hungaroring paddock.

The 2018 World Championship seventh-place finisher said: “For the first time, I can say I’ve had a clean weekend where everything went more or less as we’d planned.”

“Of course, I’m very happy to finally have bagged my first points of the season. That was really long overdue! Naturally, it’s also great to head into the Formula 1 summer break feeling like this.”

“I didn’t get off to a great start; the right-hand side here was more difficult to launch from than the left all weekend. The difference was greater than in previous years. That was a bit frustrating.”

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“There was a moment when I’d not only lost a place to one of the Racing Bulls drivers, but was even behind the two Alpines! But I managed to rectify that on the first lap.”

“That was a key moment in our race – making sure I didn’t get stuck back there.”

“After that, things went pretty much as we’d expected, but it got a bit hectic in the last ten laps. That’s because my direct rivals and I were overtaken by Verstappen, Antonelli and Hamilton. So, alongside our battles with each other, we had to keep thinking about how to let those cars past. That sort of thing disrupts your own rhythm a bit.”

“Towards the end, my team-mate Gabi Bortoleto let me past because his tyres were on their last legs; I was then able to overtake Lindblad, but unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough to get past Lawson.”