Hülkenberg disappointed by Renault's pace of development

Nico Hulkenberg has always been something of a maverick. Oh not the type to make sensational statements, no. But not the type to shy away from facing reality either. In a paddock F1 increasingly smooth and polished, that’s already a lot.

So when it comes time to take stock of the mid-season Renault, the German did not hesitate to pull the pin to throw a small grenade into the Jaune-et-noir house, which is 21 points behind its client team McLaren and 4th place in the Manufacturers ranking.

« We cannot be entirely satisfied with our performance this season so far, reported from Hockenheim Hülkenberg, who has defended the colors of the French manufacturer since 2017 and whose current contract expires at the end of the current campaign. Of course, we have had problems which have slowed down our momentum but even in terms of raw performance, we are not where we would like to be. 

We are a little behind on passing times this season, but also if I take into account the three seasons since I joined. We cannot be completely happy with what we have accomplished.

Afterwards, the future remains promising: the end of the tunnel is in sight. We are convinced that we can make up our deficit. How hard and how fast? This remains to be seen, difficult to say with certainty. We'll see what the future holds, including for me personally. Nothing is set in stone at the moment but it is likely that I will stay with the team ». 

Curiously, the former winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans released these last sentences alone, without even being invited to comment on the rest of his career. Star recruit of the last transfer window, his teammate Daniel Ricciardo makes a similar speech although logically a bit more optimistic. 

« When i was at Red Bull, I was in the opposite situation, namely that the chassis progressed quickly while the engine did not follow the same development curve, said the Australian. This season, the propulsion is clearly better, while we have not unlocked a huge gain on the chassis side. 

As a driver, you always want more and are satiated only when progress materializes on the timesheet. We expected more from the developments made to the French Grand Prix, for example. On this level, we can say that there was a feeling of underperformance. I hope that the next developments will bear fruit ». 

At Renault, the harvest has not yet visibly started.