Recent News

Rookie runner-up finish for Will at Red Bull Ring

Will Palmer matched his best result in the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 championship so far, as he claimed a strong sixth-place, and rookie runner-up, finish in race two of the weekend (16/17 July) at the undulating Red Bull Ring in Austria. The 19-year-old bounced back from disappointment in race one where he had been running comfortably in the top-six before a mechanical issue put paid to his charge, resulting in a DNF.

The R-ace GP driver, along with the majority of the Eurocup field, waited for the optimum track conditions in qualifying and only took to the circuit with 10 minutes remaining in the session. He soon was on the pace however and lapped the 2.68-mile layout in a 1m29.496s, putting him in seventh position with five minutes remaining. The BRDC Superstar found more speed as qualifying came to an end, finishing with a best lap time of 1m29.301s, but couldn't improve from his seventh position.

As the lights went out to start the first of two races across the weekend, Will got away well and made up one position on the opening lap, overtaking Dorian Boccolacci. In a tightly bunched field, Hugo de Sadeleer slipped by at turn two on the next lap but the Southwater racer fought back magnificently on the third tour, retaking the position with a beautiful move around the outside of the Tech 1 Racing driver into turn one.

As Will looked to make up further ground, his race was brought to a premature halt as he was slow out of the final corner owing to a mechanical issue, dropping a number of positions. He bravely tried to battle on but was forced to retire from the encounter at the halfway stage of the race.

Sunday's action began with another qualifying session, to set the grid for race two of the weekend. Despite the disappointment of race one, Will bounced back in strong fashion and despite appearing near the bottom of the top-10 as the session headed towards its conclusion, pulled out a brilliant lap on his final circuit, posting a 1m28.674s to put him on the second row in fourth.

The 2015 BRDC Formula 4 Champion made another good start as race two got underway and was right on the back of his R-ace GP team-mate Max Defourny on the opening lap. He attacked the Belgian around the outside into turn two, but couldn't quite get past and had to settle for fourth.

Fifth-placed man Dorian Boccolacci upped his pace and soon closed on the back of Will as the race headed towards its mid-point, passing the McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner through turn three, running him wide on the exit with Will having to relinquish the position as two wheels clipped the gravel and lost traction. That enabled AVF driver Henrique Chaves to get on to the gearbox of Will and despite a number of laps defending valiantly, Chaves ultimately got past to take fifth place on lap 13.

Will regrouped well and saw out the final five laps without any dramas, coming home in sixth to match his best Eurocup finish thus far and claim the runner-up finish in the rookie class behind Lando Norris.

Next up for Will is the fourth round of the Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup championship which takes place at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium on 29/30 July. 

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 - Red Bull Ring, Austria - Race One 

1. L Norris, Josef Kaufmann Racing, 18 Laps
2. M Defourny, R-ace GP, +0.890s
3. F Habsburg, Fortec Motorsports, +1.917s
4. H Scott, AVF, +2.135s
5. J Daruvala, Josef Kaufmann Racing, +3.436s
6. H De Sadeleer, Tech 1 Racing, +4.483s
7. J Falchero, R-ace GP, +10.611s
8. A Korneev, JD Motorsport, +11.286s
9. B Baptista, Fortec Motorsports, +14.543s
DNF. W Palmer, R-ace GP, 9 Laps

Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 - Red Bull Ring, Austria - Race Two

1. H Scott, AVF, 18 Laps
2. M Defourny, R-ace GP, +0.456s
3. L Norris, Josef Kaufmann Racing, +5.446s
4. D Boccolacci, Tech 1 Racing, +5.879s
5. H Chaves, AVF, +10.374s
6. W Palmer, R-ace GP, +11.677s
7. J Daruvala, Josef Kaufmann Racing, +14.110s
8. F Habsburg, Fortec Motorsports, +14.369s
9. A Korneev, JD Motorsport, +15.149s
10. S Fenestraz, Tech 1 Racing, +21.860s

Latest Results

Latest Eurocup Standings