Jolyon Palmer feels the simple nature of the Red Bull Ring gives drivers the opportunity to make their mark and make a difference as the Renault Sport F1 driver heads into this first Austrian Grand Prix.
Palmer is still seeking his first point in his rookie campaign, and admitted the team struggled last time out in the European Grand Prix, but feels the Austrian circuit should be more suited to the RS16.
“I’m looking forward to getting back into the European heartland,” said Palmer. “Unfortunately we were not that competitive in Baku but we should be more on it in Austria, which is a faster circuit and should suit our car a lot better.
“The Red Bull Ring is quite a simple track, with just seven corners. Putting a good lap together is very important as the lap times are very close and any mistake can really hurt. I like that though, as the driver can make more of a difference.
“There are some bumpy zones and some overtaking possibilities, such as turn one and turn two. There are some fast corners as well, including the second-last corner that is pretty quick. Then the last corner has a bit of camber and you need to carry the speed through.
“I raced there in 2014 in GP2 and I drove in FP1 last year. It’s a lot more fun in an F1 car as there are more straight-lines and the tyre deg is very low so we can be flat out the whole race.”
