P11: Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 7.17/10 (150.5 in total)
It's going to be sad when the grid lines up for the first time in 2020 and there's no place on it for Nico Hulkenberg. After 177 Grand Prix starts since his debut in Bahrain in 2010 - but famously, never achieving a podium - Hulkenberg has been given the push from Renault and there were no open seats to be found elsewhere. That's despite the German pipping his team mate in the 2019 F1i season ratings, in part perhaps thanks to his greater familiarity with the team and the R.S.19 compared to 'new boy' Ricciardo. But the figures elsewhere don't lie, and despite top ten finishes in 10 of the 21 races (compared to just eight for Australian) he finished 17 points and five places behind Ricciardo in the final championship standings. Even so there was really no pressing need to release the Hulk from his contract - that is, except the need to make room in the line-up for Esteban Ocon next year. If Nico can't find his way back into F1 then we wish him well and hope he finds greater success elsewhere, such as his 2015 Le Mans triumph.
