Finally, some good news from the second half of the grid. After years of being the team you scrolled past in the standings, Kick Sauber have remembered how to fight. From dead last in 2024 to seventh this season, they’re not just making up the numbers anymore — they’re moving forward. And in this cutthroat midfield, forward is everything.
Hulkenberg’s Moment, Fifteen Years Late
Nico Hulkenberg’s podium at Silverstone wasn’t just a result, it was a redemption arc. 239 races into his career, and finally the rostrum that had taunted him since 2010. Wet-dry chaos, a charge from P19, and the old dog showing the entire paddock he still has the bite. You could feel the emotion when he admitted he had over 700 messages waiting on his phone. Call it a fairytale, call it overdue justice — either way, it was magic.
Bortoleto Steps Up
Gabriel Bortoleto isn’t just making up the numbers either. After a rocky start — DNFs in Australia, Miami, Silverstone — the rookie has sharpened up. Eighth in Austria, ninth in Belgium, then a career-best sixth in Hungary right before the break. The Brazilian is showing he belongs here, not just as a passenger next to Hulkenberg, but as part of the team’s upward curve. The qualifying battle proves it too: 8–6 in his favor over a guy once known as a one-lap assassin.
The Binotto Factor
Let’s not overlook the man upstairs. Jonathan Wheatley came in as Team Principal in April, but there’s also the quiet hand of Mattia Binotto in the mix, steering the wider Audi project. Which begs the question: maybe Ferrari really was the problem, not him? Away from Maranello politics, Binotto’s engineering brain looks like it might finally have the right environment to shine.
Audi on the Horizon
This is the part that really excites me. Because Sauber isn’t just fighting for P7 this season — they’re laying the groundwork for Audi’s full takeover in 2026. A proper works team, German money, Swiss efficiency, Italian oversight. It feels like the start of something, not just another midfield cycle.
And here’s the thing: when you see Hülkenberg finally break his curse and a rookie like Bortoleto finding his feet, you start to believe this team might actually be ready for the next step. Williams are surging, Haas are fading, Racing Bulls are stuck in corporate limbo — and Kick Sauber are quietly putting themselves in position to be the team that really jumps when the Audi lights go green.
Kick Sauber aren’t just better — they’re interesting again. Hülkenberg’s podium was the fairytale of the season, Bortoleto is proving himself, and the Audi era promises a serious shake-up in the midfield. For once, Hinwil feels less like a holding pattern and more like the launchpad for something bigger.
