Season snapshot · 2018
Source: Jolpica F1 API- WDC finish
- P7
- Wins
- 0
- Podiums
- 0
- Points
- 69
- DNFs
- 7
- Constructor
- Renault Sport Formula One Team
Race-by-race
| Race | Grid | Finish | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Australian | P7 | P7 | 6 |
| Bahrain | P7 | P6 | 8 |
| Chinese | P7 | P6 | 8 |
| Azerbaijan | P14 | Accident | 0 |
| Spanish | P16 | Collision | 0 |
| Monaco | P11 | P8 | 4 |
| Canadian | P7 | P7 | 6 |
| French | P12 | P9 | 2 |
| Austrian | P10 | Engine | 0 |
| British | P11 | P6 | 8 |
| German | P7 | P5 | 10 |
| Hungarian | P13 | P12 | 0 |
| Belgian | P18 | Collision | 0 |
| Italian | P20 | P13 | 0 |
| Singapore | P10 | P10 | 1 |
| Russian | P12 | P12 | 0 |
| Japanese | P16 | Engine | 0 |
| United States | P7 | P6 | 8 |
| Mexican | P7 | P6 | 8 |
| Brazilian | P13 | Overheating | 0 |
| Abu Dhabi | P10 | Collision | 0 |
Nico Hülkenberg's 2018 Formula 1 season with Renault was a testament to consistent midfield performance, culminating in a career-best 7th in the Drivers' Championship despite a high incidence of mechanical and incident-related retirements.
Going in
Heading into 2018, Renault Sport Formula One Team aimed to consolidate its position as a strong midfield contender in the V6 turbo-hybrid era, which had been largely dominated by Mercedes since 2014, a period where drivers like Lewis Hamilton — 2014 season showcased consistent front-running reliability. Hülkenberg, paired with Carlos Sainz Jr., was expected to lead the charge, leveraging his experience to extract maximum performance from the RS18 chassis and its power unit. The objective was clear: establish Renault as the 'best of the rest' behind the top three teams.
How it played out
The season began strongly for Hülkenberg, securing points in the opening three races with a 7th in Australia and consecutive 6th place finishes in Bahrain and China. This early form underscored his ability to maximize the Renault package, placing him firmly at the head of the midfield. Despite this promising start, the season was punctuated by a significant number of retirements, totaling seven across the 21-race calendar. Early DNFs in Azerbaijan due to an accident and Spain from a collision highlighted the fine margins of midfield racing, where small errors or incidents could quickly derail a promising weekend.
Mid-season saw a mix of solid points finishes—including 8th in Monaco, 7th in Canada, and 6th at Silverstone—interspersed with further reliability woes, such as an engine failure in Austria. A particular highlight was the German Grand Prix at Hockenheimring, where Hülkenberg delivered his best result of the year, finishing 5th. This performance demonstrated his capacity to capitalize on opportunities when the car held together. The latter half of the season continued this pattern, with another collision-induced retirement in Belgium and an engine issue in Japan, yet he still managed to secure 6th place finishes in both the United States and Mexican Grands Prix. Ultimately, Hülkenberg finished the season with 69 points, securing 7th position in the Drivers' Championship, a career-best for him at the time. This contrasted sharply with the near-perfect reliability often seen in dominant campaigns, such as .