Palmer drops to P14 following gearbox change

Jolyon Palmer has been demoted 5 places on this afternoon's Belgian Grand Prix grid as a result of a gearbox change undertaken by Renault.

Palmer was putting in a scintillating performance in qualifying yesterday and heading for a spot in the top ten when his efforts were suddenly halted by a gearbox leakage.

The FIA's stewards have confirmed that Renault have changed the gearbox on Palmer's RS17 and will subsequently incur a five-sport grid penalty which puts him P14 at the start..

Palmer will precede Felipe Massa, Marcus Ericsson, Pascal Wehrlein, Daniil Kvyat and Stoffel Vandoorne, who have all received grid penalties for today's race.

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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.