Palmer steps up to Formula One with Pirelli

GP2 champion Jolyon Palmer will make the step up to Formula One with Pirelli as a third driver for the Lotus team this season.

The 24-year-old Briton, whose father Jonathan drove for F1 teams including Williams and Tyrrell in the 1980s, will attend all the grands prix and tests with the Lotus F1 Team in 2015 – gaining valuable experience on Pirelli’s P Zero tyres. Palmer will take part in a significant number of Free Practice sessions as well as contributing to the car’s development and will be the team’s reserve driver.

Palmer, who scored more points than any other GP2 champion last season, said: “I’m delighted to be moving into Formula One with Lotus and I’m very grateful for the opportunity. To be able to learn with a major F1 team by working closely with them in every area and getting a lot of mileage in the car is the best way forward. My objective is to earn a long-term future with them.”

Testing for the new Formula One season begins next week in Jerez, Spain, before the season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne from March 13-15.