In finishing 2nd for McLaren at Albert Park, Lando Norris recorded his 14th career podium finish, meaning he now has the record for the most podium appearances without a Grand Prix victory, breaking a tie with BMW favourite Nick Heidfeld on 13.

I did try and find what would be the record for the most podium appearances before winning a Grand Prix, and there is a famous precedent for Norris’ situation, because multiple drivers had 15 podium finishes before winning their maiden Grand Prix on the 16th visit:

Frenchman Patrick Depailler recorded 15 podium finishes for Tyrrell in the late 1970s before he won the 1978 Monaco Grand Prix, one of two wins for the Frenchman before his untimely death in 1980.

His compatriot Jean Alesi had 15 podium finishes for Tyrrell and Ferrari before he finally won at the 1995 Canadian Grand Prix on his 31st birthday, which proved to be Alesi’s only Grand Prix victory.

Eddie Irvine had 15 podium finishes for Jordan and Ferrari (Thanks in part to the bloke driving the other Ferrari) before he won the 1999 Australian Grand Prix, one of Irvine’s four career wins that all came in 1999 as he came within 1 race of winning the World Championship.

Another McLaren favourite in Mika Hakkinen recorded 15 career podium finishes (And lost many more due to fabled McLaren-Mercedes reliability) before he may or may not have been handed the win of the 1997 European Grand Prix, which was the win that sent Hakkinen’s career into the stratosphere.

As for some others, Jenson Button recorded 13 podium finishes in a 3-season span before winning the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix in a Honda, which is the only win for a non-European constructor since 1977.

Rubens Barrichello had 12 podiums before winning the 2000 German Prix from 18th on the grid, thanks to a disgruntled ex-Mercedes Benz employee.

While yesterday’s winner Carlos Sainz had 11 podium finishes before winning the 2022 British Grand Prix.

It is funny to think that the only driver to win for McLaren during Lando’s career is Daniel Ricciardo, but still, could be worse..

Nico Hulkenberg has now had 206 Grand Prix starts without a podium appearance, and is only 2 starts away from equalling the late Andrea de Cesaris for the most Grand Prix starts without a win, which harks back to Murray Walker’s great quote…

“Into the pit lane comes Andrea de Cesaris, the man who has won more Grand Prix than anyone else in the history of Grand Prix racing without actually winning one of them.”