Official: Jolyon Palmer to stay with Renault in 2017

It is in a context where many speculations surrounded the name of the driver who would race for Renault in 2017 alongside Nico Hülkenberg that the F1 managers of the diamond brand confirmed that it would indeed be the Briton Jolyon Palmer who would drive the yellow single-seater for another season.

Jolyon Palmer, who has been at Enstone since 2015 in a role of reserve driver, then as a full-time driver starting in 2016, said after the announcement: “I’m on cloud nine at the thought of racing a second season for Renault Sport Formula One Team. I can’t wait to reward the team’s trust in me on the track.”

The Briton, who had a difficult start to the 2016 season before scoring his first point in Formula 1 at the Malaysian Grand Prix, after several unsuccessful attempts, adds: « Working in Enstone since 2015, I can fully appreciate and measure the development of the infrastructure over this year. I therefore share the team’s impatience to move on to 2017 with our new car. F1 has proven to be quite a steep learning curve, but I know I’m driving better and better, and this is just the beginning. The drive and enthusiasm are huge both at Enstone and Viry, and I am honored to be part of this adventure destined for success. »

The confirmation of Palmer for a second season at Renault forces Kevin Magnussen to find a seat with another team in order to continue his career in the premier category. The Dane is reportedly in advanced discussions with the Haas team for 2017 to replace Esteban Gutiérrez. According to some reports, the former McLaren driver has even signed a two-year contract with the American team, whereas Renault was only offering him a one-year contract.

Jérôme Stoll, president of Renault Sport F1, is pleased to be able to rely on Palmer’s experience at Enstone to lift the team: « I am delighted to announce that Jolyon will be with us for the 2017 season. He has shown us his hunger to grow alongside the team, and we have been impressed by his increasingly strong performances on the track during the season. »

The Frenchman then mentions his promising partnership with Nico Hülkenberg: « We are convinced that the combination with Nico Hülkenberg will provide us with a formidable and very promising dynamism to surpass ourselves and achieve our goals. Jolyon has a strong team spirit and motivates everyone who works with him. The duo he forms with Nico combines the benefits of continuity and fresh blood. I am certain that having Nico as a teammate will lead Jolyon to great results. We thank Kevin Magnussen for his efforts in 2016. He did an excellent job for us this year. We wish him all the best for 2017 and beyond. »

This confirmation should lead to an acceleration of the transfer market, which depended heavily on Renault’s decision. Notably concerning the French driver Esteban Ocon, who was eyeing this position. There are two possibilities for the Mercedes protege: either stay with Manor for a full season or take Nico Hülkenberg’s seat left vacant for 2017 at Force India since his announcement to join Renault. In fact, the latter seems the most probable.