Nico Hulkenberg expects to remain at Renault and says it is “quite likely” he ඣwill stay on at the French manufacturer for the 2020 Formula 1 season.

The German, who has had a significant influence on the team’s rise up F1’s pecking order since joining the team in the second year of its return to full works status in 2017, is out of contract at the end of th𒉰e current campaign.

Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul previously admitted at the French Grand Prix that the team would consider its options beyond Hulkenberg for next season. But🎃 speaking ahead of this weekend’s German Grand Prix, Hulkenberg said he expects to stay put at Renault.

“There’s nothing set in stone but I think i𝓰t’s quite likely I’ll remain with the team,” he replied when asked about his future and h𝔉is feelings about the Renault project.

“I think it’s fair to say that so far ꦕthis season we can’t be entirely happy with what we’ve achieved,” he added.

“To start with we had a lot of issues and missed ou🌸t on results, a little bi𒈔t more disappointing is where we are in terms of performance and development rate, we are not really where we wanted and needed to be, so behind the expectations this year.

“Probably, all in all, as 💟well not entirely happy if you look across the three years, we can’t be entirely happy with what we’ve done.

“Nevertheless, the outlook is still good, we still see light at the end of the tunnel and we believe we can still c🐽atch up to some extent - how much is still is always difficult to say with entire certainty but we will see what happens in the future.”

Renault currently finds itself trailing McLa🔜ren by 21 points in the battle over fourth spot in the constructors’ championship, and Hulkenberg reckons the French squad would be ✅“right up there” with McLaren had it not faced a troubled start to the season reliability-wise.

“It is 21 points that’s a✱ fact,” he explained. “But I think we coul🅰d be right up there with them if you add up all of the complications we had, all the missed results and problems.

“We should be there or thereabouts but for sure McLaren look very stron🐷g at the moment and are probably one of our main compet🍷itors that we will probably be battling with from here till the end.”

Hulkenberg is 11th in the drivers' standings, five points behind💝 𒁃teammate Daniel Ricciardo, who penned a two-year deal after switching from Red Bull over the winter.