SEPTEMBER 17, 2017

Palmer read Renault axe story on internet

Jolyon Palmer says he learned about losing his seat at Renault from the internet.

Jolyon Palmer says he learned about losing his seat at Renault from the internet.

"I knew it when I read it on the internet," Speed Week quotes the Briton as saying.

"So that's a bit unfortunate and I don't know who released that to the media, but honestly it doesn't change the facts," said Palmer, who is being replaced for 2018 by Carlos Sainz.

"Of course I knew that the team was looking around, because it's been a tough year for me. But you never know what will happen until it happens," he added, amid speculation he is now in the running to replace Felipe Massa at Williams.

Palmer said in Singapore that he is determined to see out the remainder of his 2017 contract, with speculation emerging that Renault is trying to pay him off for EUR 3 million.

According to Auto Bild, Renault chief Cyril Abiteboul had promised Red Bull's Dr Helmut Marko that Palmer would be gone by Malaysia, paving the way for Sainz and his Toro Rosso replacement Pierre Gasly to get started early.

"But he (Abiteboul) has constantly changed his mind," Marko commented.

(GMM)