MARCH 14, 2016

Magnussen bigger talent than Palmer

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos says he is not expecting Renault to shine in 2016.

Former F1 driver Robert Doornbos says he is not expecting Renault to shine in 2016.

One of the problems, the former Minardi and Red Bull driver said, is Jolyon Palmer, who Doornbos does not rate highly.

"He was the GP2 champion in 2014," the Dutchman acknowledged to Ziggo Sport Totaal, "but that was in my view a very weak achievement."

However, Palmer - making his F1 debut this year with Renault after serving as the Enstone team's Friday driver in 2015 - did beat the likes of Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Nasr in 2014.

But Doornbos insisted: "Magnussen is a much bigger talent."

The 34-year-old also has doubts about Renault, following the carmaker's eleventh hour takeover of the struggling Lotus outfit.

"I saw little of them in Barcelona," said Doornbos, referring to the recent winter tests.

"I believe that of all the teams, they were surely the ones who did the least kilometres. That does not help when they are testing a new engine in an existing chassis."

(GMM)