Why Nico Hulkenberg Must Move to Renault from Force India
Despite his talent behind the wheel, Nico Hulkenberg has spent his entire Formula One career making lateral move after lateral move—from Williams to Force India, to Sauber and back to Force India.
Now it seems the door is open for what looks, on the surface, like yet another move to a midfield team, albeit one that will finish the season some 150 points behind his current team.
And yet, this is a move Hulkenberg needs to make.
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Renault are interested in signing the 29-year-old German, according to Autosport's Ian Parkes. Having lost Romain Grosjean at the end of last season, when the French manufacturer bought the team, Renault are eager to bring in another top-flight driver.
Force India sit fourth in the constructors' championship with 134 points, while Renault are down in ninth, with just three top-10 finishes for a total of eight points this year.
But Hulkenberg would not be signing on to drive for this year's Renault team. Rather, he must make his decision based on the two teams' future potential—and, in that case, there is no doubt: Renault are the better option.
While Force India are beating expectations on a shoestring budget, the team owners' ongoing financial and legal problems hang over everyone's heads at the Silverstone factory.
Sahara India chief Subrata Roy is briefly out of jail, according to the Times of India's Dhananjay Mahapatral, while co-owner Vijay Mallya remains in the UK after a failed extradition request from the Indian government, per the Financial Times' Amy Kazmin.
Meanwhile, Renault's decision to double down on the struggling Lotus team (which was previously owned by the French company from 2000 to 2011) signals a new, more stable era for the Enstone-based outfit.
One of the largest car manufacturers in the world, Renault is not in F1 to tour around at the back of the grid. The company is there to show it can compete with the likes of Mercedes and Ferrari. And with significant changes coming to the technical regulations for 2017, having the financial backing of a major global corporation can only help.
Hulkenberg is obviously comfortable at Force India, having spent four of his six F1 seasons there. But to take the next step in his career, he needs to move outside his comfort zone.
Last summer, Hulkenberg second-guessed one of his career moves, telling Bleacher Report, "Maybe in hindsight the move to Sauber—not to disregard that year—but maybe if I'd stayed at Force India, that could have been a change to my career."
If he does not make the move to Renault now, he will likely be left rueing another missed opportunity down the road.
Force India are at the limits of their potential right now, scoring occasional podiums and challenging at the front of the midfield.
Renault's potential is much, much greater. In 2005 and 2006, the team won back-to-back drivers' and constructors' championships. As this year has shown, it will take a while for the team to return to that level, but the potential is there.
Next year's rule changes will offer an opportunity for some teams to make a big jump in performance. But even if Renault don't make a huge leap forward right away, they have the resources to build the team over the medium- and long-term.
Hulkenberg might take some criticism for leaving Force India after the most successful season in the team's history, but it would be a strategic move not based on F1's typical, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately culture.
Not only that, Hulkenberg's stock has dropped somewhat, as he has been outperformed by Sergio Perez at Force India. A move to Renault would give him an opportunity to be the undisputed team leader again.
Hulkenberg has missed career opportunities in the past—at the age of 29, he may not get many more.
Force India have provided a good home for him to mature as a driver, but now, in Hulkenberg's own words (over the team radio, after passing Valtteri Bottas at the Japanese Grand Prix), it is time to say, "See ya later!"
Matthew Walthert is an F1 columnist for Bleacher Report UK. He has also written for VICE, FourFourTwo and the Globe and Mail. Follow him on Twitter:
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