Hulkenberg A Winner for Best Teams – Sainz

Carlos Sainz believes 2018 Renault team-mate Nico Hulkenberg would be a grand prix winner in one of the top cars.

Hulkenberg has enjoyed eight seasons in Formula 1, racing for the likes of Williams, Force India, Sauber and, for the past two seasons, Renault.

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The German was a colleague of Sainz’s at the Enstone-based marque last year and recorded his best finish of fifth in his home grand prix at Hockenheim.

However, he has still to achieve a podium finish let alone take the chequered flag, but Sainz is adamant it is not a true reflection of his talent but just the circumstances of driving for inferior teams.

“The year that I came to Renault, Nico was having already a very strong year,” he said. “I saw him performing at the highest level I’ve seen I think perform in the midfield for years.

For me he’s one of those guys that you give him a Mercedes, Ferrari or Red Bull he’d win races straight away. “But unfortunately you guys are not able to see it, not able to calculate it, as Formula 1 works like that.”