Max Verstappen‘s future at Red Bull started the weekend as the biggest talking point again, but it was soon overtaken by matters on track, and a big announcement off it.

And at the end of it all, who would have thought the most memorable moment of a British Grand Prix in front of a combined 500,000 would arguably be a Sauber driver on the podium over a Lando Norris win?

One for the good guy

I’m still not quite sure how Nico Hülkenberg ended up on the podium in that race.

A senior Sauber team member who recently joined from a frontrunning team said it’s the type of result that makes you feel good that F1 will still pay back the guy who’s given so much, and it’s an apt way of summing up the response to the result.

I was lucky enough to cover Hülkenberg’s attempt at Le Mans in 2015, when he took a surprise victory for Porsche on debut, and at the time it was used as a reference for just how good the German is, and how he hasn’t had the F1 machinery to show it.

There’s absolutely no way I would have said at that point that it would be over a decade until he would stand on a podium at the end of a grand prix for the first time. But five years later, I might well have been more likely to say he wouldn’t stand on a podium at all.

Hülkenberg has been a driver reborn since returning with Haas in 2023, and his switch to a new environment at Sauber did not come without risk, but he’s been a part of an impressive turnaround during this season as it prepares for the increased pressure that will come with the Audi tag next year.

And while Audi will be a major arrival, given where Sauber has come from this year, it was a true underdog story for Hülkenberg to finally get his hands on a trophy in such a dramatic race. Not quite Sonny Hayes-esque, but close, and in that sense perfectly-timed for a potentially new crowd that might have tuned in for some chaos after seeing the sport on the big screen.

The FIA’s presidential race

Friday morning saw a potentially pivotal announcement when it comes to the future of the FIA as Tim Mayer launched his campaign to become the new president, saying he will stand against Mohammed Ben Sulayem later this year.

Mayer made the announcement at Whittlebury Hall and not within the confines of the circuit, saying he had given F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali a heads-up the day before as a courtesy, but adding the locations show there is no affiliation or show of support from F1 as it must remain impartial.

Similarly, the FIA issued a statement on Saturday morning, effectively acknowledging Mayer’s candidacy but pointing out that its staff members must remain neutral, amid questions for comment about his announcement. There was a subtle reminder, though, that the presidential election is not a popularity vote among fans, team members or F1 itself, all of which have no official say in the matter.

“The Presidential List, which includes the President of the FIA, is elected by FIA Member Clubs with full voting rights, representing both the Sport and Mobility pillars of the organisation,” the statement read.

And for all of the positive responses that Mayer received for announcing his candidacy, he knows the hard work starts now as he looks to convince those member clubs that he is the right choice for their future. Having kept his head down over the past six months and not lobbied externally prior to his announcement, Mayer will only learn the true extent of any meaningful support for him over Ben Sulayem moving forward.

Haas keeps knocking back offers

There were a lot of announcements in the build-up to the British Grand Prix, and that can easily lead to some of the less time-sensitive ones being overshadowed. But it was interesting to see Haas confirm its driver schedule for the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and the fact that it includes team owner Gene Haas driving an F1 car.

Haas was never the sort of owner I had down as keen to drive one of his own machines, but he will join a growing number of team bosses – including his own in Ayao Komatsu, James Vowels, Christian Horner and Zak Brown – in getting behind the wheel of an F1 car and taking it up the hill.

Komatsu offered the chance to his boss in Miami, because Haas is now able to run a TPC programme, and he felt its 10th season needed marking in a special way. That also meant the pair could practice on Silverstone’s Stowe circuit ahead of the Austrian Grand Prix, and Haas was initially wary but took the opportunity and showed clear progression with every run.

For Komatsu, the test day was a display of Gene Haas’ racing spirit and commitment to his team, and in explaining that, he referenced how often the owner has turned down approaches from potential buyers.

“Honestly, I’ve seen lots of changes,” Komatsu said of his boss. “He’s so engaged now, and he understands the details as well. What’s the best way to put it? He’s always been very, very passionate about the sport and the result. He always wants us to improve, which is what we need from the owner. He was always behind us.

“I don’t know everything, but in the last 18 months, he has had numerous offers to buy the team. He’s not interested. He really enjoys being the owner of the F1 team. Currently, one out of 10. From next year, one out of 11. That’s such a privileged position to be in.

“We are grateful that we have such a passionate owner, so committed. He’s not interested in selling at all, I can tell you. Recently, he had some people really pushing to buy it. Not interested. He got even annoyed that these guys are asking so many times!”

Lego’s locked in

While Hülkenberg has his first podium to celebrate, it was also a unique one he was handed. One that almost drew criticism from an still-annoyed Oscar Piastri post-race.

“I also have a question for Nico. How does it feel after fifteen years of F1 to get a podium [trophy] that’s made out of Lego that you can just pull apart and probably buy next week?”

“I love Lego!” was Hülkenberg’s reply. “It’s good. My daughter can play with it too. You’ve always got to see the bright side. But, you know, a bit of silver or gold would have been nice too, but I won’t complain.”

The trophies were replicas of the original RAC trophy that took eight people 200 hours to build in total, with each taking approximately a week. While exclusive colours were used, the trophies were made solely out of parts that can already be purchased, with the first place trophy featuring 2717 components that were then glued together rigidly on the podium.

It was the latest activation to follow Lego’s driver parade in Miami, and shows the increasing crossover between F1 and the new demographics it is targeting. Bringing the big kids out of the drivers is the aim, and there was certainly an element of that when they were all crashing cars in Florida in May.

As cool as the crossovers are, and fun to do at certain times, a trophy made out of metal just feels that bit more valuable, but the value really lies with who receives it and how. Hülkenberg’s response was positive on Sunday night, and he is the one who needs to be able to look at it with fondness.

Amid an ever-increasing number of sponsor-led trophies, at least this one was the first of its kind and resonated with a driver who is also a father, and at least Lando Norris also got to raise that iconic original RAC trophy design at the same time.