Jolyon Palmer

Born on 20 January 1991 in Horsham, England, Jolyon Palmer seemed destined to go racing. Not just because he grew up surrounded by circuits—his father is former F1 driver and circuit magnate Jonathan Palmer—but because of his own tenacity and smarts behind the wheel.

Nationality	British
Born	Jolyon Carlyle Palmer 20 January 1991 Horsham, West Sussex, England

Palmer earned his way through the junior ranks with grit and consistency, culminating in his dominant 2014 GP2 Series championship, where he beat the likes of Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Nasr to the title. That success paved his way to Formula One—though it would prove to be a brief and challenging stint.

Lotus & Renault: 2015–2017

Palmer joined the Lotus F1 Team as a test and reserve driver in 2015, taking part in Free Practice 1 sessions and in-season tests throughout the year. His work ethic and feedback were praised, and as the team transitioned into Renault Sport F1 for 2016, Palmer was rewarded with a full-time race seat, partnering Kevin Magnussen.

In his rookie season, Palmer had to contend with a car that was more rebuild than rocket ship. Nonetheless, he delivered steady progress throughout the year and scored his first World Championship point with a 10th-place finish in Malaysia. It wasn’t flashy, but Palmer showed resilience in a tough environment.

He stayed on for 2017, now alongside Nico Hülkenberg, but the season proved even tougher. Despite struggles, Palmer had one major highlight: a career-best sixth-place finish at the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, just days after finding out—via an article—that Renault would be dropping him for Carlos Sainz. He left the team after the 2017 Japanese Grand Prix, not knowing at the time that it would be his final Formula One start.

The Pundit Era: Palmer Finds His Voice

After stepping away from racing, Palmer swapped his helmet for a headset—and hasn’t looked back. He became a lead F1 analyst for BBC Radio 5 Live, then added regular contributions for Channel 4, the F1 App, and F1TV, where his acclaimed show “Jolyon Palmer’s Analysis” dives into racing incidents, overtakes, and strategy with the precision of someone who’s been there.

Palmer has earned praise for his straight-talking, clear-eyed analysis, often providing a counterpoint to more diplomatic media coverage. His ability to explain racing from a driver’s perspective—with humour and honesty—has made him one of the most respected modern voices in the paddock.

More Than the Stats Sheet

Jolyon Palmer may not have had a headline-grabbing F1 career, but his contribution to the sport continues to grow off the track. From his GP2 championship to dissecting high-profile crashes on-air, Palmer has become an important voice in helping fans understand the nuances of modern Formula One.

Jolyon Palmer Formula One World Championship career

F1 Career	2016–2017
Teams	Renault
Car number	30
Entries	37 (35 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	9
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	2016 Australian Grand Prix
Last entry	2017 Japanese Grand Prix

Jolyon Palmer Teammates

6 drivers	Involvement	First Year	Last Year
Romain Grosjean	10	2015
Pastor Maldonado	10	2015
Kevin Magnussen	21	2016
Sergey Sirotkin	6	2016	2017
Esteban Ocon	4	2016
Nico Hulkenberg	16	2017

Complete Formula One Results

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	WDC	Points
2015	Lotus F1 Team	Lotus E23 Hybrid	Mercedes PU106B Hybrid 1.6 V6 t	AUS	MAL	CHN TD	BHR TD	ESP TD	MON	CAN	AUT TD	GBR TD	HUN TD	BEL TD	ITA TD	SIN	JPN TD	RUS TD	USA TD 1	MEX TD	BRA TD	ABU TD			–	–
2016	Renault Sport F1 Team	Renault R.S.16	Renault R.E.16 1.6 V6 t	AUS 11	BHR DNS	CHN 22	RUS 13	ESP 13	MON Ret	CAN Ret	EUR 15	AUT 12	GBR Ret	HUN 12	GER 19	BEL 15	ITA Ret	SIN 15	MAL 10	JPN 12	USA 13	MEX 14	BRA Ret	ABU 17	18th	1
2017	Renault Sport F1 Team	Renault R.S.17	Renault R.E.17 1.6 V6 t	AUS Ret	CHN 13	BHR 13	RUS Ret	ESP 15	MON 11	CAN 11	AZE Ret	AUT 11	GBR DNS	HUN 12	BEL 13	ITA Ret	SIN 6	MAL 15	JPN 12	USA	MEX	BRA	ABU		17th	8