Nico Hulkenberg: Renault's targets ambitious but doable

Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg believes his team is right to set an "ambitious target" ahead of the 2017 season.

On its return to F1 last year, Renault finished ninth in the constructors' championship with just eight points. However, this year's car -- launched in London on Tuesday -- has been designed from the ground up by the team's new technical department and Renault's top management is targeting points at every round and a fifth place finish in the constructors'.

"Yeah, I do agree with that," Hulkenberg told ESPN. "It's ambitious because there are a lot of competitive and good teams out there that will aim for the same thing, so it's definitely a big challenge ahead of us. But Renault is a big name and a big group and have been winning championships in the past and that's where they want to climb back to, so we have to start working here."

Hulkenberg joins the team from Force India this year and said there was a noticeable difference working for a manufacturer team.

"It does feel different. You do feel the power that a manufacture has, it's bigger, more resources in the factory and a lot of building going on. You can see the investment they are putting in recruiting people, so I can feel that they are hungry and want to get back to the front, so that's a good and encouraging feeling for myself because I'm looking for the same thing. I think we are both looking towards the same thing, so hopefully we can build that story nicely."

And Hulkenberg stressed that he has no regrets about his decision to switch teams ahead of the new season.

"It just feels like a good position to be in for me. I've very happily joined the team last year and all through the winter there was not one moment where I regretted it or it didn't feel right. I'm just very happy in my seat at the moment and very excited for the next weeks ahead and even the future beyond that."