Nico Hülkenberg will soon break a record no F1 driver wants to break

It can be said that Nico Hülkenberg has a good chance of achieving a quite special record in F1. Indeed, he has joined Andrea de Cesaris for the most races without a win in Formula 1, following the Chinese Grand Prix: 208.

Even if it should be noted that the German driver once again had an excellent weekend in Shanghai, finishing tenth to give Haas their fifth point of the season, he is still far from being able to claim victory in F1. Haas scored five points in the first five races, only two less than Racing Bulls, in the battle for sixth place in the constructors’ championship.

The start of the 2024 F1 season has been quite impressive for Haas, especially considering that just before the start of the new campaign, the new team principal, Ayao Komatsu, had suggested that they would be at the back due to their lack of development over the winter. Much of their strong form is due to the good performances of Nico Hülkenberg, who continues to perform well every weekend.

China was Hülkenberg’s 208th F1 race and unfortunately he still hasn’t tasted victory. This means he is now tied with De Cesaris for the most races without a win. His Haas teammate, Kevin Magnussen, is currently in fifth place in the overall standings with 168 races. At the next race in Miami (May 2-5), he will surpass this record with 209 winless races.

There are other drivers with race counts without victories like Nick Heidfeld (183), Romain Grosjean (179), Kevin Magnussen (168), Martin Brundle (158), or Lance Stroll (148).

Hülkenberg came closest to his first F1 victory during the 2012 Brazilian Grand Prix. Skillful in changing conditions, Hülkenberg had brought his Force India very close to victory, battling against the two McLarens of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton. While trying to pass Hamilton to take the lead of the race, Hülkenberg lost grip while attempting to overtake the McLaren driver on the 55th lap. Hülkenberg was blocked by some slower cars in front of him, which ultimately led to a collision with Hamilton and ended his race. The German driver had to pit for repairs and later received a penalty for the contact with Hamilton.

Among the drivers in the 2024 F1 championship, we find Nico Hülkenberg, Kevin Magnussen in 5th position, Lance Stroll in 7th position, Lando Norris in 16th position, Alexander Albon in 26th position and Yuki Tsunoda in 39th position.

The top 10 drivers with the most F1 races without a victory