Sauber crew principal Jonathan Wheatley described Nico Hulkenberg’s podium efficiency on the British Grand Prix as top-of-the-line drives he has ever seen.
Hulkenberg began nineteenth however remarkably climbed by means of the sector in moist situations to run third, earlier than a last pit cease for slick tires led to him him opening up a snug hole over Lewis Hamilton and maintain off the Ferrari driver by greater than 5 seconds. Wheatley – who joined Sauber from Crimson Bull earlier this 12 months – says it ranks among the many greatest drives he has witnessed, as Hulkenberg lastly stood on a podium for the primary time after 239 race begins.
“Nico drove an impressive race,” Wheatley stated. “Top-of-the-line I’ve seen at Silverstone. Top-of-the-line I’ve seen of any driver ever. And it appears unimaginable to me that we’re all celebrating a podium. It feels to me like he ought to have been getting all of them his profession. It appears to be the longest-waited podium ever.
“He confirmed his class. He did not put a wheel fallacious. And the crew made all the best choices by way of technique. Stayed out after we wanted to remain out. After which switched to the medium on the proper time. I am simply very, very pleased with him.
“I can not communicate for anybody apart from myself, [but] I’ve thought of him to be a rare expertise for a really very long time. And I believe I have been constant in saying that to everybody right here. It appeared unimaginable to me that he is by no means achieved a podium in his profession. I believe he confirmed what he is able to. And I believe additionally for him it is a milestone. The monkey’s off his again.
“I believe Nico confirmed what he is able to. I believe, given the best race automobile, given the best circumstances, he is able to delivering that. I’ve little doubt he can win a race.”
Wheatley believes the important thing to the rostrum was the timing of each an early first pit cease for brand new intermediates, and the later change to slicks – with Hulkenberg stopping one lap later than Hamilton, who was inside two seconds of the time.
“We had an eye fixed on the climate that was coming, which I believe is what everybody did. After which I believe Nico simply felt like his intermediates had simply had it, and we thought the identical. So we boxed him at that time. It was completely the best choice.
“And I believe then the opposite vital choice, given Lewis’ tempo, was the time that we boxed onto the medium tire after that. We waited. We stored our powder dry. We weren’t the primary to go. We have been watching very fastidiously what the opposite drivers did. And I believe we obtained the timing proper on that.”
