Jolyon Palmer swapped his Renault RS16 Formula One car for a fourth-generation Renault UK Clio Cup racer earlier this week.
Palmer’s first taste of UK Clio Cup machinery came at Bedford Autodrome, the training and trackday facility owned by his father Jonathan Palmer.
It marked the first time the 2015 GP2 champion has driven a front wheel drive racing car, having spent his formative years in single-seater racing.
The 25 year old headed from Bedford to the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where has been driving Renault F1 machinery up the famous hill across the event.
Commenting on his Clio drive, Palmer said: “That is really good fun. I’ve never driven a front-wheel-drive racing car before so it was something different for me.
“But I’m surprised with the amount of grip generally. It also feels like a proper racing car and you can attack the brakes which any serious racing driver loves.
“In summary there’s a lot of grip, it’s very stiff and great fun to hustle. You can see why it’s perfect for a young driver looking to a career in touring cars or even GTs.”
