Palmer clinches first Formula Renault Eurocup win with victory in Estoril opener

Mclaren Autosport BRDC Award winner Will Palmer clinched his first victory in the Formula Renault Eurocup last weekend in the opening race of the final round of the season at Estoril in Portugal.

Palmer, who dominated the BRDC F4 Championship last year before winning the MABA prize, qualified second for the opening encounter behind champion Lando Norris and held station in the opening atages before being overtaken by R-ace GP team-mate Max Defourny with five laps to go.

But on the final lap Defourny clashed with Norris at the first corner, delaying the pair significantly and allowing Palmer to cruise to a first win.

Palmer told MN: “It’s great to have taken a win this year. It was a bit of a wait to get there but it’s a great feeling.

“I wasn’t far behind the incident and wasn’t sure what damage they had or whether they could carry on, so I just got through it as quickly as possible to make sure I got by. After that it was quite easy because I had such a big gap so I just brought the car home.”

Palmer finished seventh in the Eurocup standings after a non-score in the final race, and is now considering options to stay in Formula Renault and the possibility of racing in GP3 for 2017.