Renault's Bell: Palmer made 'real progress' in 2016

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Renault's technical boss Bob Bell has underlined Jolyon Palmer's steady progress during the Brit's maiden Formula 1 season.

Palmer endured a difficult first half of the season, marked by a few crashes and a series of missed opportunities before stabilizing himself mid-season and turning his fortunes around in the last leg of the championship.

Palmer succeeded in finishing in the points in Malaysia and displayed good relative performance thereafter, earning him the opportunity to remain with the French squad for a second season.

"I don't know if it took him a while to get his head around Formula 1 in a full-on season, get used to the cars and get used to this car, and how to get the best out of it," Bell told Autosport.

"I don't know if it was just a learning thing for him. It quite possibly was but either way he's shown real progress.

"That's the important thing, whatever the reason behind it is. I don't think he's finished with that yet, he's going to keep improving."

Bell commended Palmer for his will to learn and believes he will only benefit from the presence of Nico Hulkenberg on the other side of the Renault garage next season.

"He'll learn from someone like Nico, which is another important factor, and he's prepared to learn which is good.

"He's got an open mind and he's gaining in stature all the time. If he keeps developing as he has done in the latter half of the season then he'll do well."

With the introduction of new regulations in 2017, Renault was eager to maintain a minimum amount of consistency for next year. To that end, it was important for the French manufacturer to keep at least one of its drivers with its team.

"To keep one of them is good for consistency and we're very pleased to have Jolyon with us. Honestly from an engineering perspective, it was a very difficult decision between Jo and Kev," confirmed Bell.

"Jo has certainly improved a lot, particularly in the latter part of the season. You can see him gaining confidence and he's just improving all the time.

"It will be a good pairing next year because they are quite different and will bring different things to what we're trying to achieve."

2016 team-by-team review: Part two

2016 team-by-team review: Part one

Andrew Green: Force India's smooth operator

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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.