Latest news with #Hülkenberg
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Sauber's success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026
SILVERSTONE, England — Sauber celebrated a rare podium finish with Champagne donated by its Formula 1 rivals. After all, this wasn't meant to be its year. Sauber's success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026 Mercedes sent over a staffer to Sauber bearing bottles of Champagne and a message of congratulations after Nico Hülkenberg's surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. It was his first podium as a driver and the team's best finish in 13 years. Sauber personnel jumped and sang as the sparkling wine was sprayed around the team's hospitality site. Not bad for a 'building year,' as Hülkenberg put it in February. Sauber was one of the teams eyeing 2026 opportunities before 2025 even began. The biggest rule change in a generation brings smaller cars with movable front and rear wings and more electrical power. Teams who have been also-rans in 2025 have the chance to make a big step forward. At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber — to be rebranded Audi next year — all have ambitious plans for 2026. Development work at Aston Martin's brand-new wind tunnel across the road from the Silverstone circuit is 99% focused on next year's car, team principal Andy Cowell said Friday. It's the first Aston Martin overseen by design great Adrian Newey, who's created title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over nearly 40 years in F1 and is the star signing of the team's new era. 'He pushes the boundaries," Cowell said. 'He packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit.' It's been a quiet 2025 on track. Aston Martin had its first double points finish of the season Sunday, with Lance Stroll seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth. At Williams, driver Alex Albon was testing out 2026 ideas in the simulator before the 2025 season began. The team has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes reforms to recapture its glory days as a serial title-winner in the 1980s and 1990s. Turning Sauber into the Audi works team brings a new level of expectation, while General Motors joins F1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. Top teams in particular face a tricky question to judge when to stop developing this year's car and go all-in on 2026. Red Bull was the big winner from the last major changes in 2022 as Max Verstappen won four straight titles. There's big change this time without Newey and with a new engine partnership between its Red Bull Powertrains unit and Ford. Verstappen's future is unclear amid speculation he could leave for Mercedes. It would be a 'disaster' for Red Bull to lose him, McLaren boss Zak Brown told the Associated Press on Saturday. 'Sport goes in cycles," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last week. 'We've had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1, and what we want to do is build towards the next cycle.' "Of course we want that to be with Max but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.' The last time the rules changed, McLaren showed it's possible to start a new F1 era slowly but evolve into a title contender. It took over two years until the breakthrough win, though. auto racing: /hub/auto-racing This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sauber's success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Sauber celebrated a rare podium finish with Champagne donated by its Formula 1 rivals. After all, this wasn't meant to be its year. Mercedes sent over a staffer to Sauber bearing bottles of Champagne and a message of congratulations after Nico Hülkenberg's surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. It was his first podium as a driver and the team's best finish in 13 years. Sauber personnel jumped and sang as the sparkling wine was sprayed around the team's hospitality site. Not bad for a 'building year,' as Hülkenberg put it in February. Sauber was one of the teams eyeing 2026 opportunities before 2025 even began. The biggest rule change in a generation brings smaller cars with movable front and rear wings and more electrical power. Teams who have been also-rans in 2025 have the chance to make a big step forward. The teams eyeing a leap forward At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber — to be rebranded Audi next year — all have ambitious plans for 2026. Development work at Aston Martin's brand-new wind tunnel across the road from the Silverstone circuit is 99% focused on next year's car, team principal Andy Cowell said Friday. It's the first Aston Martin overseen by design great Adrian Newey, who's created title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over nearly 40 years in F1 and is the star signing of the team's new era. 'He pushes the boundaries," Cowell said. 'He packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit.' It's been a quiet 2025 on track. Aston Martin had its first double points finish of the season Sunday, with Lance Stroll seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth. At Williams, driver Alex Albon was testing out 2026 ideas in the simulator before the 2025 season began. The team has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes reforms to recapture its glory days as a serial title-winner in the 1980s and 1990s. Turning Sauber into the Audi works team brings a new level of expectation, while General Motors joins F1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. Front-runners have more to lose Top teams in particular face a tricky question to judge when to stop developing this year's car and go all-in on 2026. Red Bull was the big winner from the last major changes in 2022 as Max Verstappen won four straight titles. There's big change this time without Newey and with a new engine partnership between its Red Bull Powertrains unit and Ford. Verstappen's future is unclear amid speculation he could leave for Mercedes. It would be a 'disaster' for Red Bull to lose him, McLaren boss Zak Brown told the Associated Press on Saturday. 'Sport goes in cycles," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last week. 'We've had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1, and what we want to do is build towards the next cycle.' "Of course we want that to be with Max but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.' The last time the rules changed, McLaren showed it's possible to start a new F1 era slowly but evolve into a title contender. It took over two years until the breakthrough win, though. ___
Winnipeg Free Press
07-07-2025
- Automotive
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sauber's success is an F1 anomaly as teams switch focus to 2026
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Sauber celebrated a rare podium finish with Champagne donated by its Formula 1 rivals. After all, this wasn't meant to be its year. Mercedes sent over a staffer to Sauber bearing bottles of Champagne and a message of congratulations after Nico Hülkenberg's surprise third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. It was his first podium as a driver and the team's best finish in 13 years. Sauber personnel jumped and sang as the sparkling wine was sprayed around the team's hospitality site. Not bad for a 'building year,' as Hülkenberg put it in February. Sauber was one of the teams eyeing 2026 opportunities before 2025 even began. The biggest rule change in a generation brings smaller cars with movable front and rear wings and more electrical power. Teams who have been also-rans in 2025 have the chance to make a big step forward. The teams eyeing a leap forward At the halfway point of the 2025 season, Aston Martin, Williams and Sauber — to be rebranded Audi next year — all have ambitious plans for 2026. Development work at Aston Martin's brand-new wind tunnel across the road from the Silverstone circuit is 99% focused on next year's car, team principal Andy Cowell said Friday. It's the first Aston Martin overseen by design great Adrian Newey, who's created title-winning cars for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull over nearly 40 years in F1 and is the star signing of the team's new era. 'He pushes the boundaries,' Cowell said. 'He packages 10 things into the space where only one would normally fit.' It's been a quiet 2025 on track. Aston Martin had its first double points finish of the season Sunday, with Lance Stroll seventh and Fernando Alonso ninth. At Williams, driver Alex Albon was testing out 2026 ideas in the simulator before the 2025 season began. The team has invested heavily in behind-the-scenes reforms to recapture its glory days as a serial title-winner in the 1980s and 1990s. Turning Sauber into the Audi works team brings a new level of expectation, while General Motors joins F1 in 2026 with its Cadillac brand. Front-runners have more to lose Top teams in particular face a tricky question to judge when to stop developing this year's car and go all-in on 2026. Red Bull was the big winner from the last major changes in 2022 as Max Verstappen won four straight titles. There's big change this time without Newey and with a new engine partnership between its Red Bull Powertrains unit and Ford. Verstappen's future is unclear amid speculation he could leave for Mercedes. It would be a 'disaster' for Red Bull to lose him, McLaren boss Zak Brown told the Associated Press on Saturday. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'Sport goes in cycles,' Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said last week. 'We've had two incredibly successful cycles in Formula 1, and what we want to do is build towards the next cycle.' 'Of course we want that to be with Max but we understand the pressure that there is next year, with us coming in as a new power unit manufacturer.' The last time the rules changed, McLaren showed it's possible to start a new F1 era slowly but evolve into a title contender. It took over two years until the breakthrough win, though. ___ AP auto racing:
Hamilton Spectator
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- Hamilton Spectator
Hülkenberg's long wait is over after first podium finish in his 239th F1 race
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Fifteen years, 239 races, one trophy. Nico Hülkenberg finally made it onto the podium with third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. That ended the longest wait in career starts for a driver before claiming a top-three finish in Formula 1 history. To do this, he had to hold off none other than Lewis Hamilton, so often unbeatable in Britain. 'I was thinking that he's going to give it all here in front of his home crowd,' Hülkenberg said. 'And I was like: 'Sorry, guys, but it's also my day.'' Starting from 19th on the grid, a perfectly judged drive in the rain and smart strategy saw the 37-year-old German outperform his uncompetitive Sauber car as other contenders span off the road. He showed off his attacking skill by overtaking Lance Stroll for third and then had the toughest test of all, holding off seven-time champion Hamilton, who'd won his home race nine times. 'It's pretty surreal and to be honest, not sure how it all happened. Obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race,' Hülkenberg said. He was mobbed by his Sauber team after climbing out of the car and before climbing up to the podium to receive a long-awaited trophy. Hülkenberg made his F1 debut in 2010. In 2011 and for three years from 2020 through 2022, he was without a full-time race drive at all, except for a few emergency call-ups when other drivers caught COVID-19. Down the years, he's raced for many teams but never a true contender — Williams, Force India, Sauber, Force India again, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber again. His previous best race result was a fourth place in 2013 and another in 2016. It was the first podium finish for Sauber since Kamui Kobayashi was third at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2012, and the first podium finish for any German driver in F1 since Sebastian Vettel in 2021. Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda now has the most races of any current driver without a podium at 99, but Hülkenberg still holds the all-time record for most races without a win. ___ AP auto racing:
San Francisco Chronicle
06-07-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Hülkenberg's long wait is over after first podium finish in his 239th F1 race
SILVERSTONE, England (AP) — Fifteen years, 239 races, one trophy. Nico Hülkenberg finally made it onto the podium with third place at the British Grand Prix on Sunday. That ended the longest wait in career starts for a driver before claiming a top-three finish in Formula 1 history. To do this, he had to hold off none other than Lewis Hamilton, so often unbeatable in Britain. 'I was thinking that he's going to give it all here in front of his home crowd," Hülkenberg said. "And I was like: 'Sorry, guys, but it's also my day.'' Starting from 19th on the grid, a perfectly judged drive in the rain and smart strategy saw the 37-year-old German outperform his uncompetitive Sauber car as other contenders span off the road. He showed off his attacking skill by overtaking Lance Stroll for third and then had the toughest test of all, holding off seven-time champion Hamilton, who'd won his home race nine times. 'It's pretty surreal and to be honest, not sure how it all happened. Obviously crazy conditions, mixed conditions. It was a survival fight for a lot of the race,' Hülkenberg said. He was mobbed by his Sauber team after climbing out of the car and before climbing up to the podium to receive a long-awaited trophy. Hülkenberg made his F1 debut in 2010. In 2011 and for three years from 2020 through 2022, he was without a full-time race drive at all, except for a few emergency call-ups when other drivers caught COVID-19. Down the years, he's raced for many teams but never a true contender — Williams, Force India, Sauber, Force India again, Renault, Racing Point, Aston Martin, Haas and Sauber again. His previous best race result was a fourth place in 2013 and another in 2016. It was the first podium finish for Sauber since Kamui Kobayashi was third at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2012, and the first podium finish for any German driver in F1 since Sebastian Vettel in 2021. ___
