Palmer poised to keep Renault seat for 2017

Jolyon Palmer will reportedly stay at Renault and partner Nico Hulkenberg during the 2017 Formula One season.

The Briton’s name had been linked to a move to Force India or Sauber in recent weeks, as it was believed that current team-mate Kevin Magnussen and Manor rookie Esteban Ocon had a better shot at landing Renault’s second seat.

However, Motorsport.com now reports that Palmer has secured his drive for next  year in the light of improved performance over the second half of the current campaign.

Making his F1 debut this season, the 25-year-old initially struggled against Magnussen, though their R.S.16 has never been a front-running machine, but he seems to have turned a corner in recent races.

Palmer opened his championship tally with 10th place in Malaysia, while also outqualifying and outracing his Danish team-mate more frequently.

With an announcement expected soon, this should trigger a domino effect that will result in Magnussen being confirmed at Haas F1 Team, while Ocon closes in on a Force India deal.

Prior to hiring Hulkenberg and retaining Palmer, Renault tried to poach Carlos Sainz from Toro Rosso and Force India's Sergio Perez, while also testing the waters with Valtteri Bottas.

FEATURE: What Rosberg need to do to win the title in Brazil

INTERVIEW: Fernando Alonso: Why F1 is no longer just for heroes

TECHNICAL: Under the skin of the Ferrari SF16-H

F1i Classic: Brazil 1991 - Senna's pain and glory

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter