Force India have downplayed speculation linking Nico Hulkenberg with a switch to Renault.
The German has been linked with a move to the Anglo-French team in order to bring more income to the Silverstone-based team, and although Force India haven't confirmed the German will be staying, the team's sporting director Otmar Szafnauer insists he will be staying put.
"I don't think so." he told Auto Motor und Sport. "We don't have to (confirm him). Both drivers have contracts with us. In the case of Perez, we decided to simply stop the rumours so that the sponsors have clarity."
Team co-owner and boss Vijay Mallya added that the team weren't looking to axe Hulkenberg, telling Germany's Bild newspaper: "We are very happy with him."
Rumours, however, have been circulating that the team has been late to pay Hulkenberg, a claim that Szafnauer refuted,
"I can assure you, we pay all of our bills," he insisted, despite the fact that both team co-owners are currently battling legal issues..
"Our major sponsors are not running away, and they have very strict compliance regulations, whether Mercedes, Diageo or NEC," said Szafnauer. "Whether there are companies who shy away from us, I don't know."
"The money would be great right now," Szafnauer said of the possibility of 'selling ' Hulkenberg and bringing in a well-backed driver, "but we always take the best drivers we can get on the market and we have been well served by that policy."
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