Jolyon Palmer has revealed that he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro – the highest mountain in Africa – during the summer break to escape from the world, however says he’s now focused on the task ahead.
“It was good to have a bit of chill out time and recharge a little bit.
“I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, which was very tough but also highly rewarding. It was nice to be cut off from the world for a week and see a change of scenery, but I’m ready to get back to work again.”
Formula 1 returns from its summer break to the Belgian Grand Prix at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. The track is home to Formula 1’s very own corner-equivalent of Kilimanjaro; Eau Rouge.
“The first thing that hits you is Eau Rouge, it’s just incredible” said Palmer of one of the sport’s most well-known corners. “You see it on TV, or on the on-boards, and it looks awesome but to drive it is simply immense. Nothing prepares you for heading flat out down the hill and then coming up the other side and down that straight.”
Palmer has struggled so far this season, failing to finish three races and failing to even start another. Despite this, he’s still confident in the car heading into the latter half of the season. Speaking about the first half, Palmer said, “It’s been challenging, but there is definitely good potential from me and the car.
“The 2017 regulations mean a car that’s very different from before, so you have to relearn how to extract the maximum performance from it. Getting the right set-up is difficult and this is compounded when you miss out on track time for whatever reason.
“I’m looking forward and focusing on my own performance and I’m working hard to understand everything to ensure I have good races.”
Palmer sits nineteenth in the Drivers’ Championship, ahead of only Sauber F1 Team’s Marcus Ericcson.
