The day Nico Hülkenberg won the 24 Hours of Le Mans

A crazy marriage. Only two races, but they allowed him to finally secure a victory in a major race. Nico Hülkenberg, the man whose quest for the first podium in Formula 1 has been ongoing for a long time. An almost eternal battle that he has never won.

Opposite, Porsche. A legendary manufacturer. A record number of victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A legend that no longer needs to be written, but to be completed with each outing. In 2014, the Stuttgart brand made its return to the World Endurance Championship. This promises some great battles with rival Audi.

Battle between German brands

After a year of fine-tuning, the 919 found its pace. A real threat for 2015. Fast in qualifying, notably securing pole position at the 6 Hours of Silverstone and the 6 Hours of Spa. But the brand with the rings would always regain the upper hand in the race. After two events, the 24 Hours of Le Mans was next. Porsche’s playground.

The financial means were colossal. To the extent that the two main contenders for victory had fielded three LMP1s compared to two for the rest of the season.

But to launch this third prototype, it was necessary to recruit three drivers. Many men submitted their resumes to apply, including a certain Fernando Alonso, who was already pursuing participation in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In the end, another Formula 1 driver was preferred: Nico Hülkenberg.

« He doesn’t do it for the money, but because he really wants to and because he’s interested in the WEC, and we really like his mindset. He has the right attitude and he understands that going to WEC in the middle of an F1 season will be a big challenge, indicated Andreas Seidl, then the director of the Porsche LMP1 program at the time.

Because yes, unlike the 2025 season where the Canadian Grand Prix is held at the same time as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, no Formula 1 race overlapped in 2015.

Full-scale test in Spa

Although he had never driven such a car, a commitment in the Sarthe would have been an XXL challenge. Porsche ultimately offered the German a full-scale test shortly before the longest week in the world.

The leaders of the company’s motorsport division lined him up for the 6 Hours of Spa. A decision far from insignificant. The Ardennes Rollercoaster has, broadly speaking, the same features as the 24 Hours circuit: long straights, fast and technical corners, and a certain demand on cars and drivers.

During this preparation for the classic, Nico Hülkenberg finished in sixth place. A difficult start in endurance against the giant Audi, which executed the perfect race by taking the victory from Porsche.

Six weeks later. Here he is in Sarthe. « We were the third car they lined up at Le Mans, we were very free. We weren’t expecting too much. We took it seriously while having fun », explained the German later, after the Le Mans classic.

On its home turf, the Stuttgart manufacturer didn’t hold back. Three 919s in the top three spots in qualifying. Audi, silent. During the race, Nico Hülkenberg’s #19 quickly fell behind, relegated behind the R18s of the ringed firm.

But thanks to various incidents and a crazy pace at night, the guest car started to make a comeback. The drivers themselves began to dream of a victory. Taking the lead early in the morning further intensified this feeling.

Finally a victory

The pressure, the latecomers, the mechanical uncertainties, the yellow flags, the safety cars. So many factors that could have changed everything. But no, luck favored this trio of Nick Tandy, Earl Bamber, and Nico Hülkenberg.

At 3 p.m., prototype #19 crossed the finish line first. The Formula 1 driver finally achieved a victory he had been seeking for so long. Cursed in Formula 1, he came to seek his success here, in Sarthe.

« We won on merit, we won with rhythm. This project with Porsche was a very cool experience that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss. I had never done this before. I knew it would be big, that it was a legendary race. Seeing it up close, the emotional rollercoaster, the evolution of the race, the night driving… It was incredible », he emphasized after his victory.

This victory allowed him to gain a bit more credit in the paddock. Compared to a loser, to a man who would never make it to the podium in the premier category of motorsport, he demonstrated in June 2015 that he possessed a certain talent.

This victory left a certain Fernando Alonso bitter, as he was supposed to participate in this race, but Honda, the engine supplier for McLaren at the time, had exercised its veto right. Three years later, the Spaniard was able to compete with Toyota and win the event. A less prestigious success than for Nico Hülkenberg, as the competition had left: only Rebellion was entered in LMP1, but with a prototype closer to LMP2 than to Toyota in terms of performance.