Nico Hulkenberg positive ahead of Singapore Grand Prix

Nico Hulkenberg is confident that Force India will be competitive at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, after two strong races at Spa-Francorchamps and Monza for the Silverstone-based outfit. With the slow nature of the Marina Bay street circuit, Hulkenberg believes the track should suit the VJM05 better than recent high-sped tracks.

Although the Singapore Grand Prix is usually one of the longest and most physically demanding races of the year, usually reaching the two-hour mark, Nico Hulkenberg believes he and team-mate Paul di Resta will finish the 61-lap race within the top ten. Last season saw Force India finish the Singapore Grand Prix 6th and 8th, a result both Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta will be striving to emulate once the track action gets underway this weekend.

“I think if anything this kind of circuit should suit us a bit more – quite a lot of slow-speed corners. There’s not really one high-speed corner here. That is in our favor a little bit more than at Spa and Monza, the two last races, so I think we should be all right. As usual I think we’ll be around the top 10 and hopefully inside.”

With future contracts very much a talking point within the paddock this weekend, rumor has it that Nico Hulkenberg will remain a Force India driver next season. However, with speculation ripe that Paul di Resta could be on the move, it is currently uncertain who Hulkenberg’s team-mate at Force India would be in 2013, regarding the German remains a Force India driver.

“Well, there’s a good chance I’ll be with Force India next year but as you know nothing has been announced yet.”

Both Nico Hulkenberg and Paul di Resta have been hinted at a possible move to Ferrari next season in place of the struggling Felipe Massa, however both parties have remained coy on the subject. With Paul di Resta’s connections with Mercedes [due to his former DTM career with the marque], speculation has also placed the Scot with a potential drive at either McLaren or Mercedes. Whether or not the Force India line-up next season stays the same remains to be seen, with the likes of Kovalainen and Alguersuari also rumored to be possible candidates for a vacant Force India seat.

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