Nico Hulkenberg says he wants to attack in 2016 in order to make it his "best year in F1".

The German enjoyed a successful year outside of F1 in 2015 as he won the Le Mans 24 Hours driving for Porsche, but was beaten by Force India team-mate Sergio Perez in the drivers' championship. Still to score a podium - something Hulkenberg admits annoys him - the 28-year-old says he is highly motivated for the new season.

"I'm hungry," Hulkenberg told Auto Motor und Sport. "I want to attack. And I want 2016 to be my best year in F1. There is no reason why Force India should not look to build on the good performance we have shown since last year when we put the B-spec version of the car on the road."

However, while hoping to see progress from Force India, Hulkenberg is wary of the potential for a number of other teams to improve this season.

"Since one can speculate a lot, we need to focus on ourselves and do our homework. And we must work on the weaknesses that we still had last year. That's what we've done in the winter time. Therefore, I am confident.

"We are also clear that there a number of potential rivals who can be a tough nut to crack: McLaren when it gets more power from Honda, Toro Rosso with Ferrari engines, Red Bull anyway. Also Haas F1 I guess from the beginning will be strong. Our approach should perhaps be that we aim to be at the level of Williams."

Feature: How to fuel success in F1

F1i exclusive: Tost "more than positive" about Toro Rosso drivers

Key dates for the 2016 F1 season

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter

Andrew Lewin

Andrew first became a fan of Formula 1 during the time when Michael Schumacher and Damon Hill were stepping into the limelight after the era of Alain Prost, Nigel Mansell and Aryton Senna. He's been addicted ever since, and has been writing about the sport now for nearly a quarter of a century for a number of online news sites. He's also written professionally about GP2 (now Formula 2), GP3, IndyCar, World Rally Championship, MotoGP and NASCAR. In his other professional life, Andrew is a freelance writer, social media consultant, web developer/programmer, and digital specialist in the fields of accessibility, usability, IA, online communities and public sector procurement. He worked for many years in magazine production at Bauer Media, and for over a decade he was part of the digital media team at the UK government's communications department. Born and raised in Essex, Andrew currently lives and works in south-west London.

Recent Posts

‘Difficult to pass’: Ocon raises early alarm over 2026 F1 cars

Esteban Ocon fears Formula 1’s 2026 cars could make overtaking a tougher art rather than…

16 hours ago

Jenson Button named Aston Martin F1 Team Ambassador for 2026

Jenson Button is heading back into the Formula 1 spotlight – not in a race…

17 hours ago

Wolff calls out Mercedes engine rivals: ‘Get your sh*it together!’

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has fired a blunt warning across the Formula 1 engine landscape,…

18 hours ago

A tribute to a talented fallen F1 hopeful

Roger Williamson - the young British F1 hopeful who was lost to motorsport in a…

20 hours ago

Russell confident in Mercedes W17 – but stops short of title claim

Mercedes’ George Russell is currently the bookmakers’ favorite for the 2026 F1 world title, yet…

20 hours ago

F1 engine dispute heads for boiling point in key FIA meetings

This week, Formula 1’s engine manufacturer’s are heading into two crucial meetings with the FIA,…

22 hours ago