F1’s ‘other Brit’ senses a chance to shine
london — Jolyon Palmer, by his own admission, did not make much of a mark on Formula One last season.
But the “other Brit” on the starting grid, now that Jenson Button has departed and left Lewis Hamilton as the country’s only active world champion, is hoping to leave a stronger impression second time around.
“One point. Yeah. I did’t make a big dent into it,” the Renault driver said of his 2016 tally from 21 grands prix.
“‘I’m really confident that it will be a much better season. I haven’t got a lot of doubt about it.”
Last season was a hard slog in a car best forgotten.
Announced by Lotus as a driver before Renault completed their takeover of a team in desperate need of finance, Palmer was in danger of being squeezed out after the French manufacturer signed Nico Hulkenberg for 2017.
Instead, it was Denmark’s Kevin Magnussen who left for Haas and Palmer the one who stayed. Which was just as well, because he had no Plan B. “I feel like it’s completely different sat here now,” he told Reuters in an interview during winter testing.
“I honestly think you learn more in the difficult times. And really, last year there were times where I had to pull myself together.
“The year started quite difficult and I had to regroup and get my head straight for doing what I could the rest of the year. And having come through that, now I’m sat here with that experience which a lot of drivers don’t have.
“You’re on the back foot and in a fight for survival. I’ve come through that and now hopefully we are going to have a much stronger year, and I know I can dig deep and when the pressure’s on, shine through.” —