After helping the Sahara Force India F1 Team finish fourth in the Constructors’ Championship in 2016, Nico Hülkenberg believes it will be extremely difficult for the team to progress any further up the grid.
In their most successful season to date, Force India managed to finish ahead of the Williams Martini Racing squad in 2016, with Hülkenberg’s best finish of the year coming at Spa-Francorchamps when he finished fourth.
The German, who moved across to the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team following the conclusion to the 2016 season, believes a budget shortfall and a restricted amount of resources at their fingertips would make it hard for more progress, although he does feel the right people are there to maximise what they do have.
“[It is] difficult to predict,” said Hülkenberg on F1i.com. “To move on further, to close the gap in terms of being in the mix with the top three teams, it’s very difficult.
“I think they would need a bit more budget, more resources. I think the people are there, we have a very good team in place at the track but also back at the factory so I think that wouldn’t stop it. It’s a huge challenge and it’s not easy.”