F1: Jolyon Palmer on the Brink of Redundancy

Andrew Harper · Jun 17, 2017

Lazarou said:
Unfortunately it looks like Palmer's confidence is completely shot

I think this is a big part of it. He came into the season with high hopes. The car is not great anyway and the reliability is poor as well. When he started getting hammered by his team mate his confidence just started to get lower than it already was.

He needs a few good results to build himself up again, although I don't like to knock any driver (he deserved his chance more than others; you don't win a GP2 championship without some skill) he seems out of his depth in F1 at the moment.

Unless he can save his F1 career and move into another team I would save all the millions he's wasting in sponsorship with Renault and move onto other things, he's doing something he loves but F1 is just not being kind to him at the moment.

As for a replacement? If I was Kubica I would stay away. If his goal is to win races, Renault are still years away from achieving that. If he's happy finishing top 10 and the team are happy to take the risk then go for it.

I suppose the whole "is GP2 a valid route into F1" argument will raise it's head again as well. There are some drivers who spend years in GP2 and never make it, being overlooked for drivers in GP3 or even lower categories.

Coops · Jun 17, 2017

Would love to see Kubica back in F1, but he hasn't raced a single seater since the accident, only rally and touring cars. These are the toughest F1 cars to drive in a decade and if Renault want points now, he's probably not the right option.
Sergey Sirotkin seems to be getting a lot of attention, he's driven in a couple of P1 sessions in Palmer's car. He's pretty highly regarded, came 3rd behind Gasly and Giovinazzi in GP2 last year and bring a bit of cash (Which as much as people may not like it, is part of EVERY potential drivers job application)
Another option would be Sebastian Buemi - currently driving for Renault in Formula E, and has F1 experience. Seems to have matured since he left F1 and is winning virtually every race he enters in multiple championships.

Flammenjc · Jun 18, 2017

Coops said:
Would love to see Kubica back in F1, but he hasn't raced a single seater since the accident, only rally and touring cars. These are the toughest F1 cars to drive in a decade and if Renault want points now, he's probably not the right option.
Sergey Sirotkin seems to be getting a lot of attention, he's driven in a couple of P1 sessions in Palmer's car. He's pretty highly regarded, came 3rd behind Gasly and Giovinazzi in GP2 last year and bring a bit of cash (Which as much as people may not like it, is part of EVERY potential drivers job application)
Another option would be Sebastian Buemi - currently driving for Renault in Formula E, and has F1 experience. Seems to have matured since he left F1 and is winning virtually every race he enters in multiple championships.

Is Sirotkin really highly regarded?

He's decent, but never lit any series up.

Coops · Jun 18, 2017

Flammenjc said:
Is Sirotkin really highly regarded?

He's decent, but never lit any series up.

I don't rate him, I think there are a lot more promising youngsters out there, but he keeps coming up in terms of "next guy in". I think Renault like the "package" but that has burnt them before.

Niels_at_home · Jun 18, 2017

When I first started simracing work for a GP2 team, Palmer was .... pretty poor. He needed many years, and possibly a weaker grid, to finally win in GP2. That just doesn't cut it for the front of an F1 grid and it seems to indeed be the case.

Jan Larsen · Jun 18, 2017

Exactly. Palmer has been lucky to get where he is and is clearly out of his depth, the fact Hulk is toying with him with the same machinery just underlines it even more. He'll be replaced no later than post-2017/pre-2018. But with who is the big question.

Terry Rock · Jun 19, 2017

Think Robert is reading that steering-wheel manual and getting to terms with the new energy recovery systems right about now?
I think so.

Steve Worrell · Jun 20, 2017

Not bothererd at all if he gets the boot. He has been totally uninspiring since his entry in to F1. Would welcome back Kubica with open arms. The Champion that never was.