Nico Hülkenberg lauded the rate of development shown by the Renault Sport Formula 1 Team since his debut season with the team in 2017.
Renault managed a sixth place finish in the Constructors’ Championship in 2017, before making the leap to fourth in ’18.
With upgraded facilities at the marque’s UK base in Enstone, an improved R.S.19 and a rebuilt Renault Sport power unit, Hülkenberg and Renault are optimistic over further progress in 2019. The German is still searching for a first Formula 1 podium after 156 grands prix starts.
Hülkenberg said that the development is just part of Renault’s long-term targets and more progress is yet to come. The team made a big statement last summer by securing Daniel Ricciardo from Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in a deal that came into effect from January.
“As a team, we’ve developed a lot since the start of 2017 and that’s all part of the process if we want to achieve our long-term targets,” Hülkenberg said.
“When I arrived, the infrastructure was still young, we’ve come a long way since then with a lot of progress.”
Renault found itself typically at the top of a very tightly-contested midfield battle in 2018, with a strong run of form at the end of the season opening up a 29 point gap to the fifth-placed Haas F1 Team.
The 31-year-old’s seventh place finish in the Drivers’ Championship left him as the ‘best of the rest’ in terms of drivers outside the top three teams, but Hülkenberg stressed the need to keep moving forwards.
“I want to extract the best from myself and maximise the potential from the team and the car,” he added.
“The important thing is, as a team, we take a good leap forward and perform better consistently. We want the trend to continue upwards and keep the developments coming.”
