Renault will consider options beyond Hulkenberg for 2020
Renault needs to look at the options beyond extending Nico Hulkenberg’s contract as it mulls over its 2020 Formula 1 driver line-up, according to team boss Cyril Abiteboul.
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Hulkenberg has raced for the works team since 2017 and played a key role in its rise up the grid, beating his teammates over the two full seasons completed so far and finishing seventh in the drivers’ championship last year.
He has now been joined at Renault by ex-Red Bull driver and multiple race winner Daniel Ricciardo, who has a deal for next season whereas Hulkenberg’s current arrangement expires after 2019. Last year, Renault was linked with a loan deal for Mercedes protege Esteban Ocon before signing Ricciardo.
Asked about Renault’s driver situation for 2020 and if the team would have another look at signing Ocon, who has been sidelined this year, Abiteboul said: “The answer to the first question is in the second part of the question.
“The situation is clear. We have a two-year contract with Daniel. Nico’s contract, the initial term is coming to an end at the end of this year.
“There is some mechanism of options as has been commented on press – which I’m not going to disclose the details [of] – that can kick in.
“It’s maybe that we continue our journey with Nico. Nico has delivered for the team, clearly, and if you look at where we were when Nico joined us and where we are today, it’s crazy the change to the team, to the buzz.
“Clearly the drivers are no stranger to that, it’s not just engineers.”
Hulkenberg has been responsible for 124 of the 207 points Renault has scored since he joined in 2017.
Those efforts have been key to Renault finishing sixth and fourth in the constructors’ championship in the seasons Hulkenberg has raced for the team, and Abiteboul said “we need to give credit to that”.
“But also we need to look at the options, like everyone is doing, like I’m sure Nico is doing,” Abiteboul said.
“Things are open for him and for us, but there is also an option in place so that we can possibly continue our journey together.
“We will see, we’ll see probably after the summer break will be the right time to sit down, discuss it on the basis of fact and desire also.”
Nico Hulkenberg, Renault F1 Team R.S. 19
Photo by: Steven Tee / LAT Images
Be part of Motorsport community
Join the conversationShare Or Save This Story
The driver who can wreck F1's 2020 silly season
Alfa Romeo must do better in "chaotic" races - Vasseur
Honda: Verstappen relationship 'like a young Senna'
Hulkenberg: Japan F1 GP fightback was "half a miracle" for Haas
Hulkenberg: Alonso picked “wrong corner” to try defensive F1 games with Russell
How Perez's 2023 one-lap struggles led to a Motorsport.com driver ratings U-turn
What could have been: When Villeneuve’s shock return thwarted an F1 rookie
Ricciardo: Time running out to sort Abiteboul's tattoo
How Ricciardo helped Renault rediscover its swagger
F1 Chinese GP: Norris time reinstated for sprint pole, Hamilton second
Peugeot surprised by severity of WEC Balance of Performance hit
Audi a player, not a spectator, in F1 driver market - Sauber
F1 live: Chinese GP sprint qualifying as it happens
Why F1 2026 worst-case fears could be key to new rules success
How the F1 driver market situation sits for each team with 2025 openings
What's been going wrong for Leclerc in F1's tiny margins qualifying game
What the Chinese GP's highlights reveal about its first F1 race for five years
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
Top Comments