Jonathan Palmer 2023 Beyond the Grid podcast interview
He didn't come from a racing lineage, but rather pursued a career in medicine like his father. Jonathan Palmer's journey to becoming a Formula 1 driver is a captivating story of racing passion, intuition, and hard work. Jonathan Palmer initially participated in Formula Ford, but after qualifying as a doctor, he decided to commit to racing professionally. He claimed the British Formula 3 championship in 1981 and the European Formula 3 championship in 1983. That same year, Williams granted him his F1 debut at the European Grand Prix.
Over the next six years, he would race for RAM, Zakspeed, and Tyrrell, earning 14 championship points in the process. Palmer shares his extraordinary journey from medical studies to Formula 1 racing with Tom Clarkson. He reminisces about remarkable drives in Monaco and offers fascinating insight into working alongside Ayrton Senna as a McLaren test driver in 1990. After retiring, Palmer, whose son Jolyon also raced in F1 for Renault in 2016 and 2017, joined the BBC's Formula 1 coverage team. He looks back on covering the tragic day Senna lost his life at Imola in May 1994.
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