Renault boss: Hulkenberg can ‘take the troops with him’

Renault boss Frederic Vasseur says Nico Hulkenberg is a man that has “succeeded in everything in his career” while backing the driver to bring leadership to the team next year.

Hulkenberg will join the French team on a multi-year deal for the start of the 2017 season, while it is thought that either Kevin Magnussen or Esteban Ocon will be his new team-mate.

The German, who made his Formula 1 debut in 2010 with Williams, is being backed by Vasseur to take the team forward once he leaves Force India at the end of this campaign.

“Nico is one of the drivers that has really made his mark, with in particular a GP2 title in his first year in the series,” said Vasseur.

“Only three drivers have done this so far: Nico, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. He has succeeded in everything in his career to date, including Le Mans.

“He is also a real leader and able to motivate a team and take the troops with him.

“He has a lot of experience and is very fast; that is very important for us in this stage of our development. From a technical perspective, an experienced and conscientious driver can give precious feedback as well as knowing exactly what they want from the car.

“This allows the team to work fast and efficiently. We are really happy to have him with us.”