Hulkenberg proud to have fended off 'pay drivers'

Pay drivers have been all over the world of Formula One in recent times, with plenty of drivers bringing plenty of money, but not enough talent to the sport, with perhaps more talented drivers left on the side lines due to their lack of financial backing.

One driver whose talent has shone through despite the era of pay drivers is Nico Hulkenberg.

The German driver has raced for midfield teams Williams, Force India, Sauber and Renault in his career, which is yet to yield a podium finish despite plenty of great drives.

Hulkenberg made his talent clear to see in his debut season by taking a dominant pole position in Brazil for Williams, but it was not enough for him to retain his drive for 2011, replaced by the erratic, but financially backed Pastor Maldonado.

Despite this blip, Hulkenberg is proud of the way he has kept his seat in F1 against all the pay drivers.

He told Motorsport.com: "To still be here and have survived, I think it does say something about me and the driver I am.

With Daniel Ricciardo joining the team for next season, Renault are expected to produce a better race car, so maybe Hulkenberg can break his podium duck sooner rather than later.