Jolyon Palmer to make Formula Two return
19-year-old Briton aiming for maiden F2 victory in 2010
Jolyon Palmer has confirmed that he will return to the Formula
Two line-up in 2010 for his second year in the F1 feeder
series.
Jolyon, son of 1983 F2 champion and ex-F1 driver Jonathan
Palmer, graduated to Formula Two last season after finishing third
in the 2008 Formula Palmer Audi Championship. One of the youngest
competitors in the 2009 F2 field, he made a promising start to the
season when he recorded his first top ten finish in the second
round at Brno in the Czech Republic.
Palmer, 19, went on to perform well at both Spa-Francorchamps
and Brands Hatch, before scoring his first points of the season
with a sixth place finish in the second race at Imola in
September.
The Comma-backed Briton also joined F2 for all four days of
winter testing, beating an exceptional field to set the fastest
time of day two at Portimão, Portugal. After gaining
valuable experience in his first year of international single
seater racing, Palmer admits he will be looking to launch himself
towards the front of the field in the forthcoming campaign.
Jolyon Palmer said: "Last season was a little disappointing for
me until towards the end of the year when I scored my first points.
I was also quick during winter testing and hopefully I can carry
this momentum into my second F2 campaign. The testing in
Portimão in December was particularly competitive and I went
really well there, so this is hopefully a good sign that I can run
at the front and get my first win in F2 this season. I am used to
the one team environment having been in FPA previously and then in
F2, and I really feel I can get the best out of it. I will start
the season on a race by race basis to see where I stand compared to
the other drivers, but I really feel that I have the potential to
be a contender and if things go my way, maybe even win the
title."
Jonathan Palmer, Formula Two Series Director, said: "As with a
number of young drivers, F2 was always going to be a multi year
programme for Jolyon. Last year was very challenging - I think many
people underestimated just how tough the competition was - but Jo
improved encouragingly over the final couple of events. He was
right on the pace in winter testing and should be a regular points
scorer in 2010 when he will be hoping to match the pace of the
current field, plus some well respected, quick drivers who are
about to finalise their F2 budgets and be announced next week."
To read more about Jolyon Palmer, visit his 2010
driver's page here.
Interested drivers should contact the Championship
Co-ordinator, James Gornall, at james.gornall@formulatwo.com or on
0044 1234 332439.