Palmer: Anything is possible

Editor

With a completely blank canvas for this year’s championship, Jolyon Palmer says anything is possible – even doing “a Brawn.”

In 2009 Brawn GP, in their first and only season in Formula 1 as a constructor, took advantage of the technical regulations to come up with a double-decker diffuser.

It gave Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello an edge over the chasing, who were forced to play catch up. But it was too little too late and Button romped to a first Drivers’ Championship title.

It was proof that Formula 1 can still surprise, especially when the technical regulations are changed as they have been ahead of this year’s campaign.

“Some of my mates have been saying ‘imagine if you can do a Brawn’,” Palmer said. “It is possible and that is the good thing with the new regulations.

“It is a completely blank canvas. We have no idea what anyone else is doing, and they don’t know what we are doing.

“We will hit the track in Barcelona next week and see some sort of form guide I guess, but compared to the last few years it is a real chance for someone to upset the form book, especially early on.

“I think there will be a chance if someone really gets the race right to make a big jump.”

Renault president Jerome Stoll has targeted fifth place in the Constructors’ Championship as his goal for this season, and it is one that inspire confidence – and dreams of podiums – for Palmer.

In an interview with Sky Sports News HQ, he said: “I hope it’s a realistic target because if we are targeting fifth then we are in the top 10 of the Drivers’ [Championship].

“And from there, if results go your way and you have a strong weekend, you can dream of having a podium in the year, which for me would be fantastic.

“Last year we couldn’t do what we wanted to do with the car because of the previous Lotus days, now we’ve got a car that’s properly designed and integrated between chassis and engine.

“I really believe in the team and think we can do a good job this year.”