Abiteboul applies pressure to Palmer ahead of Hungary

Renault's managing director Cyril Abiteboul has piled pressure on the shoulders of Jolyon Palmer ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend, stating that a double points finish is "critical". Palmer has failed to finish inside the top ten this season, while teammate Nico Hulkenberg has done so on five occasions in ten races.

Palmer's seat is under heavy scrutiny after the Brit has had a series of poor results, with a number of suitors such as Robert Kubica and Carlos Sainz being lined up as his replacement. Hungary will see both cars run with an upgraded floor, something Abiteboul hopes will see a boost in performance in terms of point finishes.

"We head to Hungary with a positive mood brought about by the recent performance gains we have seen to the R.S.17. Budapest is the final race before the summer break and this gives us added motivation. We have shown at Silverstone that we are continuing to improve.

"Chassis developments, in particular the new floor, proved to be positive exemplified from Nico’s eight points and both cars showing strong qualifying pace. It’s critical to back up this improvement with both cars finishing in the top ten in Hungary – we want to finish the first half of the season on a positive note. To achieve this, we need to put behind our reliability problems. We know our situation and the areas which require more attention."

Palmer is looking forward to driving around the exciting track: "The entire circuit flows together and makes for an exciting lap, there is little room for error in terms of braking and turning points, everything has to go smoothly. It’s difficult to overtake there and it’s important to find a good rhythm. It’s fun to drive a lap, it’s usually good for racing, so hopefully I can have a change of luck and finally get some points."

Fergal Walsh