A Miracle for Sauber in Barcelona: Nico Hulkenberg scored an incredible 10 points in Spain, finishing fifth in a truly stunning performance
An authentic miracle. Few—Sauber personnel included—would have bet on a fifth-place finish for Nico Hulkenberg, especially considering he started all the way back in 15th position. Yet the experienced German driver, despite still having zero career podiums to his name, delivered what will likely stand as Sauber’s best result of the 2025 season. This came as the Swiss team reached its 602nd Grand Prix.
Following what was arguably the darkest year in the team’s history—scoring just 4 points in total, all at the penultimate race in Qatar—Sauber has begun to turn things around this season.
While the C45 is far from a front-running car and still typically lingers near the back of the grid, both Melbourne and Barcelona offered isolated opportunities that Hulkenberg seized brilliantly. With 16 points now under his belt, he has brought joy back to Hinwil with a result not seen since the 2022 Imola GP, when Valtteri Bottas secured 10 points for Alfa Romeo-Sauber.
Hulkenberg’s Fifth Place and Bortoleto’s Praise
Hulkenberg’s remarkable charge from the back—after being eliminated in Q1—was also made possible by a strong package of updates introduced specifically for the Spanish Grand Prix.
In Barcelona, under the guidance of Mattia Binotto, the team rolled out several key upgrades. Teammate Gabriel Bortoleto praised the efforts:
“This result shows just how well the updates worked. Seeing the car’s potential today was truly inspiring—it gives me even more motivation to keep pushing and earn my first points“.
“What really stood out was our race pace—it was strong, and the upgrades represented a major step forward for both of us,” Bortoleto added. “We’re moving in the right direction, and now it’s back to work as we prepare for Montreal in two weeks “.
Could this be the beginning of a slow resurgence? It’s difficult to say, but with Binotto and Wheatley’s first major update package delivering clearly visible progress, there’s newfound optimism within the team.
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