Hungary was a “breakthrough” despite spin – Palmer

2016 Hungarian Grand Prix

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Jolyon Palmer believes he made a breakthrough in last weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix despite the spin which potentially cost him his first F1 point.

The Renault driver said it was “painful to look back on” his error immediately after moving up to tenth place on lap 47. “I was well-placed in P10, I had the pace on those around me and I was driving really within myself,” he explained.

Hungarian Grand Prix in pictures
“I wasn’t exactly hanging anything out and hadn’t had any big moments, everything was under control but then I lost the car in turn four. It’s difficult for me to understand why.”

“I hadn’t experienced oversteer the whole race in that corner and then I turned in and lost the car completely. I had a massive snap and then I was pointing backwards.”

Palmer described his weekend as “perfect apart from that one corner”.

“It was easily my best race ever,” he said. “The strategy was really good. The pit stops fantastic. Everything came together.”

“The good news is that we didn’t luck into our performance, which shows we have the pace and can do it again. We’ve made a big breakthrough so I think it will carry on for another couple of races.”

“My first F1 points were there for the taking in Hungary and I didn’t take them. I’m very eager to redress that situation in Germany.”

2016 Hungarian 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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    17 comments on “Hungary was a “breakthrough” despite spin – Palmer”

    1. He did look competitive.

    2. Is there any news on why though? Surely there was something to be gleaned from the data looking into it if there was any mechanical reason at all. That he still doesn’t have any explanation for it is more worrying than it happening in the first place. He knew how important that result would have been at that very moment and then to just lose it like that, well it speaks for itself really.

      Don’t get me wrong I like Palmer, I really do hope he can bounce back from this and silence the critics shortly. I’ve especially enjoyed his character in the pressers and his interviews. I think he’ll be a great character for F1, I just hope for his sake he has the talent (or in this case, the fortitude) to back it up.

      1. See my post below as to the teams best guess as to what happened-
        https://www.racefans.net/2016/07/27/palmer-still-puzzled-hungary-spin/#comment-3238830

    3. WilliamB (@william-brierty)
      27th July 2016, 12:24

      Now you just need to explain why you messed it up, and why Renault shouldn’t promote the latest French sensation, who incidentally, achieved in two seasons (FIA F3 title 2014, GP3 Series 2015) twice what you took four seasons to achieve (GP2 career summary: 2011 – 0pts, 2014 – championship). Something tells me that Ocon’s 2017 race drive was secured the second Mercedes loaned a driver of his quality.

      1. That’s if Mercedes are prepared to risk a driver of his quality driving for a team who no longer run their engines, in a season where the cars will have been redesigned almost from scratch and Renault have had some time to put their financial clout to work…

    4. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
      27th July 2016, 13:38

      @william-brierty I thought Ocon was under contract to Renault and loaned to Merc for DTM?
      Maybe I have the wires crossed. I agree though Esteban looks a sure bet for 2017.

      1. Pat Ruadh (@fullcoursecaution)
        27th July 2016, 13:41

        I checked it out on wiki William and you are of course correct….

        *shuffles off to wtf1 with tail between legs*

    5. I like Palmer, I was a supporter since he was in GP2, but he keeps making mistakes race after race. I feel for him, but in a race like Hungary when barely no driver makes mistake and you’re the only one doing one, it takes your reputation down. Monaco still in everyone’s mind.

    6. I’d love Ocon in that car for Spa. Chilton and Palmer I find equally uninspiring.

      1. Agree Jack, Palmer looks out of his depth , and with so much talent trying to bang the door down.

    7. Renault is rumored to really want to up their game for 2017 with new engine and new drivers Perez and Ocon.

    8. Well, remarkable this… His first good F1 race and he spins.

      But other than that they seemed about as good as McLaren.

      Somewhere on point scoring end of Midfield…

      Where exactly Williams is plumeting I have no Idea.

      1. WillOfTheSupremo
        28th July 2016, 6:53

        McLaren were the 4th fastest car in Hungary though. Button could’ve easily bagged P8 weren’t it for his reliability niggles, and that’s a safe estimate which account for Sainz finishing ahead of him. Which might’ve not even happened.

        1. WillOfTheSupremo
          28th July 2016, 6:54

          P9, sorry. We need that edit button, @keith

    9. I was told by somebody from Renault that the best guess regarding the spin is that he ran over some marbles that had been brought onto the racing line by a car that had moved offline while been lapped ahead of him & that it was pure bad luck that they were on the racing line at Jolyon’s normal turn in point thus costing him grip just at the point he most needed it.

      They don’t feel it was anything Jolyon did as as he didn’t enter that corner any differently to what he had been all race in terms of where he turned in, where he braked & the speed he was carrying. They also didn’t find anything wrong with the car so marbles is there best guess.

      1. Cheers for that! Good to have some info.

    10. I hope it is a breakthrough because at times Palmer does look like the real deal, that is until he makes an obvious mistake of which he seems to have no explanation for. Honestly! top of the hill, too much speed and you are facing the other way, it’s that simple.

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