Palmer says “the next race should be better” after best-ever finish

2017 Singapore Grand Prix

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Jolyon Palmer expressed delight with his career-best finish in the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Renault driver, who is the subject of intense speculation over his future, predicted he will do even better at the next round in Malaysia. At the start of the weekend Palmer rejected claims he will lose his seat to Carlos Sainz Jnr before the Sepang race.

“I’m so happy,” said Palmer after taking sixth place in Singapore. “It’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place.”

“It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points.”

“We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Managing director Cyril Abiteboul praised Palmer’s drive. “Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many,” he said.

“He was able to help the team in its progress for the constructors’ championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position.”

Palmer’s team mate Nico Hulkenberg retired from the race with an oil leak.

“We feel very sorry and I want to apologise to Nico for having to retire his car,” said Abiteboul.

“We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn’t have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures.”

2017 Singapore Grand Prix

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    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    18 comments on “Palmer says “the next race should be better” after best-ever finish”

    1. Too little, too late.

    2. Only lucky due to the attrition. Otherwise he would have been his normal 11th 12th 13th!

      1. True, but he’s not the only person in the top 10 today that you could say that about

    3. Next one better? Does Palmer have a way to crash out even more cars? Seb, Kimi, Max, Alonso and Hulkenberg would have all certainly been ahead of Palmer had they finished.

      1. And Vandoorne, who suffered a 10 second pitstop and ended right behind Palmer.

        1. There were multiple safety cars bunching the field up but that probably doesn’t fit your story so you ignore it?

          1. @ Tony Mansell:
            @spoutnik is actually right, Safety Cars had nothing to do with it, and your argument seems to backfire. Vandoorne pitted for slicks on lap 27, taking 36.1 seconds from pit entry to pit exit due to a very slow pit stop.
            When Palmer pitted two laps later, his way through the pit lane took him only 30 seconds flat, and he rejoined the track barely ahead of Vandoorne.
            Now, Vandoorne didn’t actually lose a place to Palmer, as he had already been behind him before his pit stop (gap around 5 seconds). But it stands to reason that Vandoorne would’ve undercut Palmer by a healthy margin, as he started going around 6 seconds per lap on the slicks.
            Safety Cars had absolutely nothing to do with all of this. Vandoorne’s slow pit stop took place in lap 27, 13 laps after the previous and 10 laps before the next Safety Car period.

            Conclusion: @spoutnik is right, and you aren’t.

            1. Get a life lad!

            2. If all else fails, try ad hominem. Can’t say I’m surprised.

            3. Good analysis.

      2. @waptraveler, so presumably the efforts of every other driver from Sainz down to finish in the points is then devalued because they would have also been beaten by those drivers?

    4. The Foxtel/Sky commentary bias toward Palmer’s performances is unrelenting .
      He may have had wretched luck at times , but he has been sub- par the rest of it .
      Hulkenberg , who I really like , is making him look silly. Imagine if there was a really top shelf driver there ?

    5. Is this the first race he actually finished this year?

      Great effort, great overtake on Bottas. Just a shame the car has come good after Renault have swapped him out to please Alonso and Red Bull.

      1. @9chris9
        That was his ninth finish in 2017 so far.

    6. Some pretty predictable comments. People probably don’t remember Mansell trundling round for 3 years near the back but I do.

      Having said that id be staggered if he had a mid career blossoming a la Mansell but i think the lad has conducted himself with dignity and in a chaotic race he kept his nerve. He needs about 4 more of them and he may even then be on Williams shopping list.

    7. Palmer is obviously not really F1 quality, and he was astonishingly lucky to get this second season, only to be completely embarrassed. However he is a decent wheel to wheel racer, and can do a sensible (if not exceptionally fast) job. Fair play. If he gets the Williams seat it will be a travesty for a once great team, seriously. They should seriously consider buying out Grosjean if they need an experienced and rapid driver.

    8. It could be better indeed. It could also be on PS4 from his couch at home, while Sainz drives his car.
      I don’t think it will happen, but just saying it could… :)

    9. Rumour is going around Renault is offering some cash to replace him in Sepang.

      The Palmer family don’t need cash, Dad Jonathon is loaded, but his son does need a chance to stay in F1.
      Jo says he is talking to teams, one must assume Williams, and if that’s actually happening to stay on and try to prove himself maybe force the contact and take the last 6 races.

      If he is bluffing about other teams having an interest (more likely) then maybe take the cash!

      But he knows if he isn’t picked up next year he is done, so why not drive an F1 car on limit for 6 more Sundays- I would.

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