F1 Today | Hulkenberg snub Red Bull's mistake? Marko responds to Verstappen's outing in a Mercedes

Nico Hulkenberg at the British Grand Prix - Photo: Race Pictures

22:23, 08 Jul 2025

A filmmaker with a soft spot for Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Mika Hakkinen and above all, Tazio Nuvolari and Ayrton Senna, is also a diehard Formula One fan since the age of 4 (mid-90's). An avid researcher of the past of Grand Prix Racing since before it was even named F1, and with a thirst for knowledge of the ins and outs of the actuality of the sport, as well as for the technical aspects that define it, is a member of GPblog since 2023, where he has put his love of racing to good use.

Another day of F1 news is in the books, and at GPblog we bring you the most captivating news of the first of two off-weeks in our daily round-up: F1 Today.

Turning Hulkenberg down a mistake by Red Bull?

Nico Hülkenberg finally broke his podium curse at Silverstone, and with it came renewed debate over whether the German could’ve been a better fit alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. When asked by OE24, Helmut Marko admitted that Hülkenberg was once considered, but ultimately lost out to Sergio Pérez. "Checo won back then, Hulkenberg threw races away. He's better now. The older he gets, the fewer mistakes he makes,” Marko explained, adding that the veteran is “better now” and makes fewer mistakes as he’s aged.

Hülkenberg’s stellar drive delivered Sauber’s first podium since 2012, and after 239 starts without silverware, Marko joined the chorus of praise: “We can only congratulate him. He’s very popular in the paddock.” While Yuki Tsunoda continues to struggle and Lawson remains sidelined, some in the paddock are wondering if Red Bull missed a trick by letting Hülkenberg slip through their fingers.

Hulkenberg celebrating his first ever podium after 239 starts without silverware

Marko on Verstappen's Mercedes 'outing'

Max Verstappen stirred the pot during the British Grand Prix weekend, not on track, but online, after being spotted behind the virtual wheel of a Mercedes in an iRacing sim event. Naturally, the internet ran wild with speculation, but Helmut Marko was quick to shut it down. Speaking to OE24, the Red Bull advisor brushed off any meaning behind the car choice, saying, “Max drives an Aston Martin, a Ferrari, and an Audi on public roads. So why not a Mercedes?”

While the sim outing added fuel to the ongoing Mercedes rumours, Marko remained unfazed. He acknowledged that Verstappen might be “in talks”, a nod to the ongoing F1 driver market buzz, but stressed that “there are no current developments.” With Verstappen’s contract locked in until 2028 and no exit clause currently in play, Red Bull isn't stressing over the sim session.

Pos.	Driver	Team	Points
1	Kimi Antonelli Kimi Antonelli	MercedesMER	131
2	George Russell George Russell	MercedesMER	88
3	Charles Leclerc Charles Leclerc	FerrariFER	75
4	Lewis Hamilton Lewis Hamilton	FerrariFER	72
5	Lando Norris Lando Norris	McLarenMCL	58
6	Oscar Piastri Oscar Piastri	McLarenMCL	48
7	Max Verstappen Max Verstappen	Red Bull RacingRBR	43
8	Pierre Gasly Pierre Gasly	AlpineALP	20
9	Oliver Bearman Oliver Bearman	HaasHAA	18
10	Liam Lawson Liam Lawson	Racing BullsRCB	16
11	Franco Colapinto Franco Colapinto	AlpineALP	15
12	Isack Hadjar Isack Hadjar	Red Bull RacingRBR	14
13	Carlos Sainz Carlos Sainz	WilliamsWIL	6
14	Arvid Lindblad Arvid Lindblad	Racing BullsRCB	5
15	Gabriel Bortoleto Gabriel Bortoleto	AudiAUD	2
16	Esteban Ocon Esteban Ocon	HaasHAA	1
17	Alexander Albon Alexander Albon	WilliamsWIL	1
18	Nico Hulkenberg Nico Hulkenberg	AudiAUD	0
19	Valtteri Bottas Valtteri Bottas	CadillacCAD	0
20	Sergio Perez Sergio Perez	CadillacCAD	0
21	Lance Stroll Lance Stroll	Aston MartinAST	0
22	Fernando Alonso Fernando Alonso	Aston MartinAST	0

F1 Today | Hulkenberg snub Red Bull's mistake? Marko responds to Verstappen's outing in a Mercedes

Turning Hulkenberg down a mistake by Red Bull?

Marko on Verstappen's Mercedes 'outing'

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