As revealed by Motorsport.com earlier this week, Hulkenberg has agreed a deal to join the Renault team from next year.

Although Hulkenberg had initially agreed to stay at Force India in 2017, the German has decided to end his contract to join the French squad.

Renault is yet to officially announce Hulkenberg's arrival, but Force India issued a statement confirming his exit.

"Everybody at Sahara Force India wishes Nico well as he embarks upon a different path in Formula 1," Force India said in a statement.

"Having spent five years with us, Nico has become a great friend and contributed a huge amount to the team's success. He's an outstanding driver, who has scored more points for this team than anybody else.

"While it's true we will miss Nico, we respect his decision to explore fresh opportunities and it would be wrong to stand in his way."