Hülkenberg Stuns with P7 Finish – Sauber’s Surprise Start!

Hülkenberg Stuns with P7 Finish – Sauber’s Surprise Start!

16/03/2025

Sauber’s season kicks off in dramatic fashion as Hülkenberg clinches P7, while rookie Bortoleto endures a tough but insightful debut race.

No one really expected it before winter testing, yet here we are! Thanks to well-executed upgrades, smart race management, and the undeniable skill of Nico Hülkenberg, Sauber kicks off the season with an unexpected but well-earned P7 finish.

A strong start for the team, and a statement return to Hinwil for the German driver. Safe to say, he won’t be regretting his decision to leave Haas F1 anytime soon.

“I’m very, very happy. We really didn’t see this coming for the first race—it didn’t look that great beforehand!”

“The team did everything right. It got a bit chaotic towards the end, but we made the right calls while others struggled. We picked up the pieces when it mattered, and I’m thrilled to get these points.”

“Nailing the first race is always crucial. You learn so much from a Grand Prix, and now we know what adjustments we need to make. We have a few days to analyze everything, regroup, and push forward.”

A Tough Debut for Bortoleto

On the other side of the garage, Gabriel Bortoleto had a strong start to his first-ever F1 weekend, with solid qualifying and an impressive early race performance. But like many rookies, he fell victim to the tricky conditions. Still, there are positives to take away from his debut, right?

“It was a tough race. Everything was going well until the crash. We were unlucky with the strategy—a safety car came out just in front of me, and I ended up way behind as a result.”

“I tried to fight back, but I hit the curb and went into the wall. It’s frustrating, and I feel bad for the team.”

“But I’m happy for the points. Nico did an amazing job—he deserved it, and so did the team.”

“Overall, there were positives. In these conditions, anything can happen. You’re pushing to the limit, doing everything you can. Maybe I pushed too hard, but up until then, the race was going well. Qualifying was strong, too.”

A promising start for Sauber, with plenty to build on. One driver celebrates a dream comeback, while the other learns valuable lessons from his debut. The season is just getting started!

Hülkenberg Shines, Bortoleto Learns – Sauber’s Rollercoaster Opener

Hülkenberg Shines, Bortoleto Learns – Sauber’s Rollercoaster Opener Hülkenberg Shines, Bortoleto Learns – Sauber’s Rollercoaster Opener

Race Center
China Flag
Chinese GP
21 Mar 2025 - 23 Mar 2025
Free Practice 1
21 MAR 03:30 - 04:30
Sprint Qual
21 MAR 07:30 - 08:14
Sprint Race
22 MAR 03:00 - 04:00
Qualifying
22 MAR 07:00 - 08:00
Race
23 MAR 07:00 - 09:00

2025 F1 Australian Grand Prix - Race Results

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
57
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
+0.895s
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
+8.481s
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
+12.773s
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
+15.135s
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
+17.413s
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
+18.423s
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
+19.826s
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
+20.448s
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
+22.473s
Pierre Gasly
11
PIERRE
GASLY
+26.502s
Yuki Tsunoda
12
YUKI
TSUNODA
+29.884s
Esteban Ocon
13
ESTEBAN
OCON
+33.161s
Oliver Bearman
14
OLIVER
BEARMAN
+40.351s
Liam Lawson
15
LIAM
LAWSON
47 DNF
Gabriel Bortoleto
16
GABRIEL
BORTOLETO
47 DNF
Fernando Alonso
17
FERNANDO
ALONSO
34 DNF
Carlos Sainz
18
CARLOS
SAINZ
0 DNF
Jack Doohan
19
JACK
DOOHAN
0 DNF
Isack Hadjar
20
ISACK
HADJAR
0 DNF
F1 CALENDAR 2025
Race
Date
Chinese Flag
Chinese
Shanghai International
23 Mar
Japanese Flag
Japanese
Suzuka Circuit
6 Apr
Bahrain Flag
Bahrain
Sakhir desert
13 Apr
Saudi Arabia Flag
Saudi Arabia
Jeddah Street
20 Apr
United States Flag
United States
Miami
04 May

2025 FORMULA 1 DRIVERS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Lando Norris
1
LANDO
NORRIS
25 Points
Max Verstappen
2
MAX
VERSTAPPEN
18
George Russell
3
GEORGE
RUSSELL
15
Alex Albon
4
ALEX
ALBON
12
Kimi Antonelli
5
KIMI
ANTONELLI
10
Lance Stroll
6
LANCE
STROLL
8
Nico Hulkenberg
7
NICO
HULKENBERG
6
Charles Leclerc
8
CHARLES
LECLERC
4
Oscar Piastri
9
OSCAR
PIASTRI
2
Lewis Hamilton
10
LEWIS
HAMILTON
1

2025 FORMULA 1 CONSTRUCTORS' WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

1
McLaren
27
2
Mercedes
25
3
Red Bull
18
4
Williams
12
5
Aston Martin
8
6
Sauber
6
7
Ferrari
5
8
Alpine F1
0
9
Haas F1
0
10
Racing Bulls
0
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