Vasseur: Hülkenberg is “a sure value on the board”

Nico Hulkenberg had for several days been expected to join the ranks of Renault Sport F1 Team in 2017. Confirmation came this Friday October 14 with a press release from the French team who followed Force India announcement from the departure of the German to the end of the season.

Frédéric Vasseur, the competition director of Renault Sport Racing, explained on Infosport+ the reasons which motivated the Losange to bet on the winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for several years. The Frenchman has already enjoyed success with the German who won the GP2 Series title in 2009 with ART Grand Prix.

“I think it’s certainly one of the very best drivers on the market for us. I have worked with him in the past in the lower categories, he is one of the drivers who has won everything from Formula BMW to F3 or GP2. It’s a sure bet on the board. Nico is at a point in his career where he is aware that he needs to work with a manufacturer and there aren't that many in F1.", commented the Frenchman.

“There aren't 50 potentially winning projects in the medium term. And he quickly understood that we were an interesting avenue for him. Making Nico a reality was an important step for us. Now we are going to get to the heart of the matter to make the second pilot a reality. It’s a matter of days or weeks maximum”, specified Frédéric Vasseur.

After a difficult return to F1 for Renault, the French manufacturer could rely on a completely new crew by replacing both Kevin Magnussen and Jolyon Palmer. Esteban Ocon could be the second choice.