Renault's Vasseur impressed with Palmer's 'strong race'

Renault boss Fred Vasseur has praised Jolyon Palmer for his performance in last Sunday's Mexican GP, which saw the British driver progress from the tail end of the field up to fourteenth.

Palmer's race weekend started off on the back foot with the Renault driver missing qualifying as his team replaced the chassis following final damage incurred during the last practice session.

Renault started Palmer on Pirelli's SuperSoft compound but switched to the Medium tyre almost immediately, a set which Palmer raced and looked after for a massive 70 laps, a feat which left Vasseur highly impressed.

"Jolyon had a strong race where we made the most of an aggressive strategy and pitted him very early under the safety car,” said Vasseur.

"He drove 70 laps on the same set of tyres and was very consistent to finish in front of some of our nearest rivals.

“He put in a robust defence of his position, in particular against both Jenson [Button] and Fernando [Alonso]. It was a very strong race for him. "

Palmer reckoned he could have achieved a better result had his tyres been in better condition in the final leg of the race when he slipped behind both Mclaren-Honda drivers.

"I think fourteenth is as good as we could have got from starting at the back, so I’m happy!” said Palmer.

"I had some really good fights with the McLaren guys, which was good fun, and 70 laps on one set of tyres is probably some sort of record…

“It was a bit of a challenge but in the end we were still going okay; we were quick enough to keep our competitors behind. All in all, I’m pretty happy with today.”

One can only hope that Palmer's strong showing will help the 25-year-old in his quest to remain a Renault driver in 2017.

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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.