Home / Series / F1: Beyond the Grid / Aired Order / Season 2023 / Episode 7

Jonathan Palmer

Jonathan Palmer: doctor, driver, deal-maker. He didn’t come from a racing family. He followed in the footsteps of his father and qualified as a doctor. How Jonathan Palmer ended up driving in F1 is an intriguing tale of passion for racing, intuition and plenty of graft. Palmer initially competed in Formula Ford but after qualifying as a doctor, he decided to focus on racing professionally. He became British F3 champion in 1981 and European F3 champion in 1983. That year, Williams gave him his F1 debut at the European GP. He would go on to race for RAM, Zakspeed and Tyrrell over the next six years – scoring 14 championship points along the way. Palmer takes Tom Clarkson through his unique journey from studying medicine to competing in F1. He reflects on some memorable drives in Monaco and we hear wonderful insight into what it was like working with Ayrton Senna as a test driver for McLaren in 1990. He recalls working the day Senna lost his life at Imola in May 1994.

English
  • Originally Aired April 11, 2023
  • Runtime 57 minutes
  • Created April 21, 2024 by
    RJA
  • Modified April 21, 2024 by
    RJA