Force India extends Nico Hulkenberg's contract until 2017

Germany's Nico Hulkenberg will stay with Sahara Force India until the end of 2017 F1 season, the Silverstone based team has announced.

Earlier this year, Hulkenberg won the 24 Hours of Le Mans on his first attempt, increasing his prospects of securing a top drive in Formula 1 or the World Endurance Championship (WEC).

However, with Ferrari retaining Raikkonen for 2016 and not many opportunities elsewhere, Hulkenberg went with the option to remain with Force India.

“I’m very pleased to finalise and announce my plans for the future,’’ Hulkenberg 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.”

Force India team principal Vijay Mallya showered praise for Hulkenberg’s ability behind the wheel, having overseen him since he first joined the team in 2011 as a test driver.

“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,'' Mallya said. "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 currently sits 12th in the drivers championship with 24 points in his tally.