How long the season is for the Brit! Nothing is going right for Jolyon Palmer, on or off the track. Still with zero points on the board this season (while Nico H\u00fclkenberg has 34!), not a weekend goes by without a suggestion of eviction. Diving into the Singapore night, the situation is even worse!<\/p>\n
An eternal return?<\/b><\/p>\n
While his replacement by Carlos Sainz for 2018 fuels the transfer talks, the 2015 GP2 champion must also protect his position for the end of the season. According to Autosport<\/i>, the Toro Rosso driver has reportedly been approached to take his seat as early as the next Grand Prix in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
But the 2015 GP champion doesn’t care about these considerations! \u00ab I’m just focused on the work I have to do! I couldn’t care less about everything being said about me,” he told journalists present in the city-state.<\/p>\n
\u00ab Since I think 35 races, there have been rumors that I won’t be there for the next one. So there’s nothing new for me! \u00bb<\/p>\n
The Renault Sport F1 organization chart would nevertheless see this anticipation in a favorable light in view of its rise to the top. Defending his position tooth and nail, Jolyon Palmer also reminded everyone of the basics of his existing contract, which guarantees him participation until the grand finale at the end of November. It’s indeed the driver who calls the shots!<\/p>\n
\u00ab I know what’s happening: I have a contract for the seven remaining races of the year. I will be there in Malaysia. And I will drive until Abu Dhabi! \u00bb<\/p>\n
Moreover, in no case does Palmer’s contract include an amicable termination for 2017. To be completely clear with the management, the driver’s father and the driver himself even threatened legal action if the contract were not honored to its end!<\/p>\n
In continuation of his defense, the native of Sussex believes that his season could have experienced more festive moments if reliability hadn’t left him on the sidelines. Four mechanical retirements in seventeen races nonetheless!<\/p>\n
\u00ab Obviously, it was a difficult year. I think there were some opportunities. In Baku for example, eleven cars finished the race. I even believe a Sauber scored points (editor’s note: it was Pascal Wehrlein, tenth at the finish). We had another problem, after five or six laps (ignition). In Silverstone, I couldn’t start the race… Really, it’s not ideal at this level to have reliability issues. I now have seven races to show what I can do best. \u00bb <\/p>\n
\nPAL: \u201cI’ll be racing in Malaysia. I’ll be racing until Abu Dhabi\u201d #SingaporeGP<\/a> \ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec pic.twitter.com\/BE7jkIrOuj<\/a><\/p>\n