Palmer hopes Renault can take biggest step in F1 2017

The French squad returned to grand prix racing under its own name in 2016, having taken over Lotus, but struggled at the back of the field all year.

The team finished ninth in the standings with just eight points.

Palmer admits he expected the year to be difficult but, with the team having focused on 2017 since early in the year, he is optimistic Renault can take a big step forward.

"I think we will make a good step next year," said Palmer. "This year, we knew at the start of the year that it would be tough.

"I think to be honest, we have done better than I expected, especially as the year has gone on, to get the most out of it.

"I think next year the focus has been on the new car for a long time and we have got good investment in the team and we have still got great people in the team to do a good job – hopefully we will be the team that makes the biggest step."

Palmer, who scored just once this year, secured a one-year contract extension late in the season, and the former GP2 champion reckons he has made steady progress throughout 2016.

"I feel like I have improved a lot since day one in F1 – especially the start of the year," he said. "Melbourne was a good race but early on if you look at what I was doing in the first six races, to what I was doing at the end, I improved.

"I was making some mistakes but as the year went on I was cutting out the mistakes too. So every qualifying I was in Q2 since Malaysia and generally doing a good clean race as well, so the improvement is pretty clear."

He added: "It's been an educational rookie year. Obviously a tough start and some mistakes on my side, and as the year has gone on it has got much better.

"Pace-wise and overall performance, really – putting the weekend together and fundamentally getting good results in qualifying and races."

Additional reporting by Jonathan Noble