Pressured Palmer seeks another second half turnaround

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With his future at stake Jolyon Palmer is under pressure to deliver, but the Renault driver is focused on getting good results and not fixated on 2018.

Palmer has undeniably under-performed this season and disappointed, as the Brit's campaign has been undermined to date by mistakes but also mechanical issues.

Robert Kubica's impressive outing in Hungary three weeks ago only fanned the flames which many believed would burn the Briton to the stake.

But Renault Sport F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul is reassured Palmer that his seat with the French team is secure, at least in the short term.

"Honestly I'm not even thinking about next year, I'm just focussed on this year still," said Palmer.

"We've just gone half way through the season. Nine races to go, I'm focussed on doing the best I can in each one of them.

"It's nice to hear that [from Cyril], but I'm in the same position as last year. Last year I was the same, I was here and not thinking about this year, just thinking about doing good races.

"I did good races, and then it all unfolded the right way. So I'm just focused on doing nine good races now."

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The step-up in performance of Renault's RS17 on the back of a major upgrade could likely prove a major ally in Palmer's quest to turn around his fortunes in the second half of the year.

"I think the car is in a better place now, I've just got to do it on track," he says.

"I think we can find performance even through reliability, especially on my side, I've missed so much mileage with problems.

"I would say we found the maximum a little bit earlier than we'd probably hoped on some components!

"That's been the big push really this year, to try and improve the reliability. Since pre-season testing we had a lot of problems already.

"Hopefully this latest update can really improve that, and we can start to have no more issues for the rest of the year. It's software."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.