Sauber workforce 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 sphere in moist circumstances 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 Purple Bull earlier this yr – says it ranks among the many finest drives he has witnessed, as Hulkenberg lastly stood on a podium for the primary time after 239 race begins.
“Nico drove an excellent race,” Wheatley mentioned. “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 unsuitable. And the workforce made all the appropriate selections when it comes to 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 am unable to converse for anybody aside from myself, [but] I’ve thought-about 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 appropriate race automotive, given the appropriate circumstances, he is able to delivering that. I’ve little question 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 a watch 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 appropriate choice.
“And I believe then the opposite important choice, given Lewis’ tempo, was the time that we boxed onto the medium tire after that. We waited. We saved our powder dry. We weren’t the primary to go. We have been watching very rigorously what the opposite drivers did. And I believe we obtained the timing proper on that.”
