No regrets after Force India exit - Hulkenberg

Nico Hulkenberg says he has no regrets after switching from Force India to the Renault works team for 2018.

While Force India is an impressive fourth in the constructors’ championship, Renault is a lowly ninth as the halfway point of the season approaches.

So when asked if he regrets accepting a pay rise to drop clearly down the F1 pecking order, Hulkenberg insisted: "I did everything right.

"It was clear that it would be a small step back this year and that we could not beat Force India," he told the Austrian newspaper Kurier.

"It was about the future, especially 2019 and 2020," the German added.

"I believe in the potential of this team and the fact that it represents a car with which I can compete for victories."

As for when that first win will come, 29-year-old Hulkenberg is not sure.

"That is speculation," he said.

"Officially, the team says it wants to compete for wins in 2019, but there are no guarantees in formula one.

"There is only hard work, decisions, budgets, the right people. With this recipe, however, the team has everything to go to the top."