Hülkenberg hoping to build on his first season

Now, with one season under his belt at Enstone, Hülkenberg is raring to race around Albert Park in Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix.

He said: “I’m ready to go and I can’t wait to get the season underway. Australia is one of my favourite races because Melbourne is a great city, and the fans are always fantastic, knowledgeable, passionate for motorsport and know a lot about Formula 1.

“I really enjoy Melbourne as it’s a comfortable and a very relaxed atmosphere there. The circuit is unique and packs a couple of challenges in places.

“It’s a great track to race with some fast sections even though it’s a street course. It’s a good way to kick-off the season as everyone is pumped and very excited to get into the car and race.

“I feel positive, I have a year’s worth of experience with the Renault family so that’s a good advantage for the first race. We’ve certainly made progress, not just over the whole of 2017 but also over the winter.”

Carlos Sainz begins his first full season with the team in Melbourne, a circuit which has played kindly for him in his first three Formula 1 seasons.

He said: “I’m ready and if there’s a race you’re ready for, it’s Australia. You’ve been preparing for it for months, so it’s a race which brings high levels of motivation.

“I’ve done a lot of training and enjoyed testing in Barcelona. But now the time has come to get down to it and we have to refocus the body and the mind to getting the best results in 2018.

“I’m feeling good and that confidence has been boosted by pre-season testing.”