Hulkenberg will join Renault next year after securing a multi-year deal with the team, which has struggled at the back of the field this season.

Vasseur has no doubt that Hulkenberg is the right man to lead Renault's comeback.

"Nico is one of the drivers that has really made his mark, with in particular a GP2 title in his first year in the series," said Vasseur.

"Only three drivers have done this so far: Nico, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton. He has succeeded in everything in his career to date, including Le Mans.

"He is also a real leader and able to motivate a team and take the troops with him.

"He has a lot of experience and is very fast; that is very important for us in this stage of our development. From a technical perspective, an experienced and conscientious driver can give precious feedback as well as knowing exactly what they want from the car.

"This allows the team to work fast and efficiently. We are really happy to have him with us."

Renault has shown improved form in recent races, having scored twice in a row for the first time this year thanks to 10th places in Singapore (Kevin Magnussen) and Malaysia (Jolyon Palmer).

Vasseur says the results have "energised" Renault.

"The last results, independent of the points scored by Jo or Kevin, have energised the team," he said.

"It confirms we are moving forward, which is always very positive. Even if tenth place is not where we want to end up long-term, it is progress and that is always encouraging for everyone.

"The last four races are physically tough, but we're up for the fight."