“Choice of Drivers Not Just About Performance” – Nico Hulkenberg Reacts After Losing Out Renault Seat to Ocon

The Thursday ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix was a crazy one, and the on-track action has not even begun. First up was Mercedes confirming that Valtteri Bottas would remain at Mercedes for 2020. Then came Renault, who confirmed that Mercedes reserve, Esteban Ocon, would race for them, alongside Daniel Ricciardo. Naturally, Nico Hulkenberg was the big loser in all this.

The German driver was quite upset at being dropped for the upcoming season and reacted to Ocon’s appointment. Speaking on Twitter, he said, “It’s a pity that the journey with Renault will end after the season, especially as we haven’t been able to reach our goals yet. We had hoped to take another step forward this season, but unfortunately we haven’t managed that so far.”

He then proceeded to take a sneaky dig at Esteban Ocon, saying, “It is well known that the choice of drivers is not only about performance, it is a whole bundle of factors. But that’s the way it is. Surely we would all have liked to see it differently.”

However, he affirmed that he is still motivated for the remainder of the season and find a vacant seat in F1. He continued, “But nevertheless, I’ll keep my focus and try to reach the maximum success for our team in the remaining races! With regard to 2020, I am confident to find a good solution, but there is nothing to announce at the moment.”

With regard to his options for 2020, a realistic choice on the table, Haas F1 seems like a viable choice. This is because Haas have been disappointed with their duo, Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen. In all honesty, Romain Grosjean seems like the most obvious option to replace, as he has had more retirements than points finishes, and Nico Hulkenberg was known for consistency.