Here is the definitive ranking of the ten Formula 1 drivers who had to wait the longest time in their careers before achieving their very first podium finish. It is a fascinating journey through the eras of Formula 1, spanning multiple generations of racers and teams.
Nico Hülkenberg — currently racing with Kick Sauber — stunned fans by finally securing the first podium of his long and eventful Formula 1 career at the 2025 British Grand Prix held at Silverstone. The German driver had spent years chasing that elusive top-three finish. But he is far from alone in this long road to glory.
For many years, Hülkenberg — who drives car number 27 — held the unfortunate record for the most Grand Prix starts without a single podium. Yet, other well-known figures such as Felipe Massa, Johnny Herbert, Jenson Button, and Gianni Morbidelli also feature in this exclusive list of drivers who waited the longest to stand on the F1 podium.
This ranking serves as a time capsule that cuts across different Formula 1 eras, from iconic names of the past to drivers who are still racing in today’s modern F1 grid.
The ranking:
10 – Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa made his Formula 1 debut with Sauber back in 2002 and was considered a rising star. However, after being dropped at the end of that season, the Brazilian spent a year as a test driver for Scuderia Ferrari before returning to Sauber in 2004.
His consistent performances earned him a seat at Ferrari in 2006, where he partnered with the legendary Michael Schumacher. Up to that point, a fourth-place finish had been his best result.
Massa finally reached the podium at the 2006 European Grand Prix, held at the Nürburgring, claiming third place behind Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso. It was his 57th career start, and the first of many podiums for the Brazilian driver in a successful F1 career.
9 – Gianni Morbidelli
Although not as widely known as others on this list, Gianni Morbidelli competed in 67 Formula 1 Grands Prix across six different seasons. He raced for several teams including Minardi and Sauber.
Driving for the Footwork team during the final race of the 1995 season in Australia, Morbidelli achieved his first and only podium finish. It was his 60th career start.
In that race, starting from 13th on the grid out of 23 cars, Morbidelli capitalized on a chaotic event. Most of the frontrunners retired, leaving only eight classified finishers. The Italian crossed the finish line in third, behind Damon Hill and Olivier Panis.
8 – Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon made his Formula 1 debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix with Manor. He later joined Force India, where he twice achieved a fifth-place finish but couldn’t quite crack the top three.
After losing his seat to Lance Stroll in 2019, Ocon served as a reserve driver for Mercedes before returning to full-time racing with Renault in 2020. That season brought ups and downs, but the highlight came at the Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain.
In a dramatic race, Ocon climbed from 11th on the grid to finish in second place, securing his first F1 podium in his 66th start.
7 (tie) – Johnny Herbert
Johnny Herbert enjoyed a long and eventful career in Formula 1, contesting 161 races between his debut in 1989 and his retirement in 2000.
Although he finished fourth in his debut race with Benetton, Herbert failed to replicate that early success for many seasons. A return to Benetton in late 1994 rekindled hope for better results.
At the Spanish Grand Prix in 1995 — his 67th career race — Herbert secured his first podium with a second-place finish, behind teammate Michael Schumacher, helping Benetton achieve a dominant 1–2 result.
7 (tie) – Pedro de la Rosa
Also reaching the podium at his 67th race was Spanish driver Pedro de la Rosa. He debuted in Formula 1 with Arrows in 1999 and later drove for Jaguar before becoming a test driver for McLaren.
In 2005, he briefly returned to racing as a substitute for Juan Pablo Montoya. When Montoya left McLaren permanently in mid-2006, De la Rosa stepped in for the remainder of the season.
At the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, in just his third race that year, De la Rosa delivered a stellar performance to finish second — his first and only career podium.
5 – Jenson Button
Although Jenson Button’s wait wasn’t the longest, it was certainly filled with ups and downs. After a strong debut with Williams in 2000, his subsequent years with Benetton (later Renault) proved challenging.
In 2003, Button moved to BAR Honda, where his form began to improve. The 2004 season finally saw a breakthrough: in just the second race of the year — the Malaysian Grand Prix — Button finished third, achieving his first podium in his 68th Formula 1 start.
That year, he would go on to score nine podiums, laying the groundwork for future success, including a World Championship in 2009.
4 – Mika Salo
Finnish driver Mika Salo competed in 68 Grands Prix for teams including Lotus, Tyrrell, and Arrows between 1994 and 1998. In 1999, he was without a full-time seat but was called up to substitute for the injured Ricardo Zonta at BAR.
After just two races, he was given an even greater opportunity — stepping in at Ferrari to replace Michael Schumacher, who had been sidelined due to injury.
At the 1999 German Grand Prix, Salo led for a portion of the race before yielding position to teammate Eddie Irvine. He still managed to secure second place — his first and only podium — in what was his 73rd Formula 1 race.
3 – Martin Brundle
Now a familiar voice in Formula 1 broadcasting with Sky Sports UK, Martin Brundle once competed in 158 Formula 1 Grands Prix. He raced for several notable teams such as Tyrrell, McLaren, and Jordan from 1984 to 1996.
While he technically crossed the line in second during his debut season, that result was annulled after the Tyrrell team was disqualified from the championship.
Brundle would finally claim an official podium at the 1992 French Grand Prix, finishing third for Benetton. It was his 91st career start, having started that race from seventh on the grid.
2 – Carlos Sainz Jr.
Carlos Sainz Jr. made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 with Scuderia Toro Rosso, racing alongside Max Verstappen. While Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull Racing and won his first race in just his 24th start, Sainz had to wait much longer.
Following solid seasons with Toro Rosso and Renault, Sainz moved to McLaren in 2019, partnering with Lando Norris.
At that year’s Brazilian Grand Prix, he put in a stunning drive from 20th on the grid to finish fourth. A five-second penalty for Lewis Hamilton promoted Sainz to third — his very first podium in what was his 101st Formula 1 start.
1 – Nico Hülkenberg
And finally, at number one is Nico Hülkenberg. After a record 238 starts without a podium finish, the German driver finally achieved it at the 2025 British Grand Prix, finishing third in chaotic and changing conditions.
The Silverstone result gave Sauber its first podium since 2012 and ended Hülkenberg’s long-running streak of near-misses.
During his time with Force India and Renault, Hülkenberg’s best result had always been fourth place. After losing his full-time seat in 2019, he made several substitute appearances in 2020 and 2022 before returning full-time with Haas in 2023.
However, it was only in 2025, after joining Kick Sauber, that Hülkenberg — driving car number 27 — finally climbed the steps of the Formula 1 podium, making it one of the most emotional and long-awaited moments in recent F1 history.
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