Hulkenberg can count on support: "He certainly deserves a place in F1"

Nico Hulkenberg deserves a place in Formula 1. This is according to the two Racing Point drivers who were able to experience Hulkenberg up close this season. According to Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll, the former Renault driver is more than good enough to compete with the 20 fastest men in motorsport.

"I've known Nico for quite a long time. We were teammates for three years or wait, I think we even started racing in Germany at the same time," Perez told Motorsport.com. The Mexican knows Hulkenberg very well. "At least I know how good Nico is, so his good performance didn't even come as a surprise to me."

Hulkenberg doesn't yet have a place in Formula 1 for 2021. Red Bull Racing seem to be one of the few options, but Perez is also aiming for Alexander Albon's place. That doesn't mean that Perez thinks that the 33-year-old German will miss out on a seat. "He certainly deserves a place on the Formula 1 grid for next year."

Teammate Lance Stroll has also been impressed by Hulkenberg in recent seasons. The Dutch-speaking driver replaced Sergio Perez twice in Great Britain. "Nico has shown, not only in these races but in fact over many years that he is a very good driver. We saw that at Silverstone. He got in and was pretty good. When he got in for the second weekend he was immediately quick and did an exceptionally good job for the team.