Nico Hulkenberg will stay with Force India for another two seasons, the team has confirmed.
The German had been linked with Haas – which potentially offered an eventual route into Ferrari – but he has decided to stay put.
“I’m very pleased to finalise and announce my plans for the future,” he said. “I know this team inside out and I feel at home here, so it made perfect sense to make a long-term commitment. The progress the team has shown over the last two years has really impressed me and gives me confidence for the future.
“It’s a great group of people who are hungry for success and want to keep improving year-on-year. I think we have the important things in place going forward and I want to continue growing with this team as we move even further up the grid.”
Team boss Vihay Mallya added: “I make no secret of being one of Nico’s biggest fans and so it’s fantastic to confirm him as our driver for the next couple of seasons. He has spent almost four years with us already and in that time we’ve seen him develop into one of the best racing drivers in the world. Nico has the speed, the technical knowledge and the maturity to help us achieve some great results in the years ahead. We will do everything we can to continue delivering a car to match his talent.”
Hulkenberg’s confirmation leaves Esteban Gutierrez, Jean-Eric Vergne and Kevin Magnussen as favourites for Haas drives.
Adam Cooper's F1 Blog 