Drivers with essentially the most F1 grand prix begins and not using a podium

Nico Hulkenberg shrugged off the undesirable document of getting essentially the most Components 1 begins and not using a podium by taking third on the 2025 British Grand Prix.

The shock end result got here on the German's 239th grand prix begin, because the Sauber driver benefited from accurately timed pitstops whereas rivals faltered with technique at a moist Silverstone.

It was a very long time coming for Hulkenberg, who joined F1 with lots of promise in 2010, having simply claimed the GP2 title with Fred Vasseur's ART Grand Prix workforce.

However his F1 profession has not gone as hoped, with Hulkenberg spending the final 15 years preventing within the midfield whereas not even that includes full-time from 2020 to 2022.

Nonetheless, the rostrum was nonetheless an important achievement, so who now stands within the prime 5 for having essentially the most grand prix begins and not using a top-three end?

Adrian Sutil – 128 grand prix begins

Years in F1: 2007-11; 2013-14
Groups: Spyker, Pressure India, Sauber
Grand prix begins: 128
Finest end result: 4th on the 2009 Italian Grand Prix

Adrian Sutil cast a really respectable F1 profession for himself, contesting seven seasons of the championship between 2007 and 2014, beating team-mates like Paul di Resta and ending as excessive as ninth within the 2011 standings.

However not as soon as did Sutil declare a top-three end throughout his 128 grands prix, which means he now holds the document for essentially the most F1 begins and not using a podium.

For many of his profession, Sutil was by no means actually ready to battle for a podium, because the German was on the again in his first couple seasons earlier than being firmly rooted to the midfield scrapping over the remaining level finishes in a race.

But in 2009, Sutil did come comparatively shut on a number of events regardless of ending seventeenth in that yr's championship.

The primary likelihood got here on the Nurburgring when Sutil, due to penalties and retirements forward, climbed from seventh to second within the opening stint. However, a collision with Kimi Raikkonen at pit exit meant he needed to cease once more for a brand new entrance wing, costing the Pressure India driver any likelihood of a factors end, not to mention a podium.

Simply two months later at Monza, Sutil secured his best-ever qualifying results of second for the Italian Grand Prix, but dropped to fourth within the race. The Pressure India driver did pressurise Raikkonen late on, however Ferrari's man held on to 3rd, with fourth nonetheless a strong end result for Sutil, who additionally claimed the quickest lap that day.

Sutil's third and closing lifelike shot of a podium that yr got here in Brazil, when he certified third at Interlagos however retired on lap one after Toyota's Jarno Trulli collided into him.

Pierluigi Martini – 119 grand prix begins

Years in F1: 1984-85; 1988-95
Groups: Toleman, Minardi, Scuderia Italia
Grand prix begins: 119
Finest end result: 4th on the 1991 San Marino and Portuguese grands prix

Pierluigi Martini turned synonymous with the underdog Minardi outfit, driving for the Italian workforce in all however two of his 10 F1 seasons – the Emilia-Romagna native entered one grand prix, his debut weekend, for Toleman however did not qualify, and contested the 1992 marketing campaign with Scuderia Italia.

Minardi was a massively common workforce with fairly the cult following, but it had one of many smallest budgets in F1 so was by no means actually anticipated to battle for a podium. On the events that it discovered itself within the larger positions, it was normally all the way down to luck or circumstance.

Within the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix, for instance, Martini, who certified fifth, led for a single lap – the one time Minardi led a race – as a result of he was operating an extended stint than rivals forward. Two years later, in the meantime, the Italian twice recorded his greatest end of fourth in a grand prix, coming at his native Imola monitor and Estoril in Portugal.

At Imola, Martini climbed from ninth, which was spectacular in itself, however largely all the way down to Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell, Jean Alesi, Riccardo Patrese and Roberto Moreno all retiring up forward. Martini ultimately completed a lap behind JJ Lehto in third.

Portugal was comparable in that Martini progressed from eighth largely thanks to varied drivers retiring. The battle for the ultimate podium spot was tighter on this event, as Martini completed simply 10s behind Ferrari's Jean Alesi.

Exterior of that, slower equipment meant Martini was by no means a podium challenger and the Italian solely scored 10 factors finishes in his 119 grand prix begins. He had extra success in sportscars although, taking victory within the 1999 Le Mans 24 Hours for BMW.

Philippe Alliot – 109 grand prix begins

Years in F1: 1984-90; 1993-94
Groups: RAM, Ligier, Larrousse, McLaren
Grand prix begins: 109
Finest end result: fifth on the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix

Philippe Alliot was a agency backmarker throughout his seven F1 campaigns, with seventeenth in 1987 and 1993 being his greatest championship finishes. So it's no shock that he failed to face on a podium throughout his profession, having claimed simply 5 factors finishes.

His greatest end result was fifth on the 1993 San Marino Grand Prix, during which Alliot rose from 14th for Larrousse, however that was largely all the way down to a number of drivers retiring. That's highlighted in the truth that he completed two laps off race winner Prost and a lap behind third-placed Martin Brundle, so a podium was by no means actually potential.

In contrast to others on this record, Alliot didn't have any podium near-misses, and the Frenchman holds the document for essentially the most F1 begins with out main a lap. On the face of it, one may assume driving for McLaren would have given him a practical shot, however that was just for a single race as a stand-in for the suspended Mika Hakkinen on the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix, which Alliot retired from low down attributable to a mechanical failure.

Nonetheless, Alliot nonetheless had a superb profession, taking three total podium finishes at Le Mans, in addition to three victories within the World Sportscar Championship.

Yuki Tsunoda – 99 grand prix begins

Years in F1: 2021 – current
Groups: AlphaTauri, RB, Racing Bulls, Crimson Bull
Grand prix begins: 99
Finest end result: 4th on the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Yuki Tsunoda is the one present driver on this record, because the 25-year-old has made 99 grand prix begins with out standing on the rostrum. To be honest to Tsunoda, it's only in 2025 that he has lastly joined a squad able to preventing on the entrance, having pushed for Crimson Bull's ‘B' workforce for 4 years.

Tsunoda made his debut with the Faenza squad, then named AlphaTauri, in 2021, however he endured a troublesome rookie marketing campaign, being repeatedly overwhelmed by team-mate Pierre Gasly whereas usually crashing in observe periods. However it was topped off with a career-best of fourth on the Abu Dhabi finale, although the Japanese driver by no means actually regarded able to preventing for a podium that day.

Tsunoda simply hasn't been ready to battle for a podium since, regardless of gradual development through the years whereas competing for Group Faenza all through its many guises. There was hope although, when he lastly obtained a promotion to Crimson Bull after two grands prix in 2025, that he can be preventing for trophies.

The Japanese driver even publicly said his goal of scoring a podium on his Crimson Bull debut at Suzuka, however Tsunoda, like a lot of his predecessors, has struggled adapting to the automobile and going up in opposition to his world champion team-mate Max Verstappen.

Tsunoda continues to be preventing within the midfield, scrapping over the decrease points-paying positions moderately than lastly standing on an F1 podium for the primary time.

Pedro Diniz – 98 grand prix begins

Years in F1: 1995-00
Groups: Forti, Ligier, Arrows, Sauber
Grand prix begins: 98
Finest end result: fifth on the 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix and 1998 Belgian Grand Prix

Whereas a present Sauber driver takes himself off this record, a former worker of the Swiss outfit comes again onto it, as Pedro Diniz now has the fifth most grand prix begins and not using a podium. He pips Marcus Ericsson onto the record by one, as Diniz failed to complete inside the highest three throughout his 98 grand prix begins.

Diniz was by no means ready to battle for a podium end both, with many labelling him as only a ‘pay driver' all through his six-season stint between 1995 and 2000. The Brazilian made his debut with Italian backmarker Forti, scoring zero factors in his rookie yr earlier than taking his sponsorship cash to land a seat at Ligier for 1996.

Once more, he was preventing extra in direction of the again scoring simply two factors – sixth at each Barcelona and Monza – for the French workforce, earlier than shifting as soon as extra for his third yr in F1. This time he went to Arrows, bringing roughly $13million price of sponsorship cash, the place he spent two seasons – with world champion Damon Hill and Mika Salo being his team-mates.

It was at Arrows that he secured his greatest end in a grand prix, claiming fifth on the Nurburgring in 1997 after which Spa the next yr. On neither event was he near ending on the rostrum although, ending a way off the motive force in third.

In 1999 he left Arrows for Sauber, the place Diniz then spent the ultimate two years of his F1 profession scoring three factors finishes in that point. Regardless of his sponsorship cash, he couldn't discover an F1 seat for 2001 so he left the championship as a driver, together with his household as an alternative buying a 40% stake within the Prost workforce as Diniz took up a administration position.