Having accepted his team's decision to sign Carlos Sainz for next year, Jolyon Palmer is viewing the final six races of his tenure with Renault as an audition for a seat at another team in 2018.
Ahead of the Marina Bay race, Renault's capture of Sainz on loan from Red Bull was announced as part of an extensive deal including an engine swap between McLaren and Toro Rosso. Sainz will partner Nico Hulkenberg next season, meaning Palmer's hopes of remaining in Formula One now appearing to rest on Williams, with Felipe Massa's future beyond this season still unclear.
Palmer delivered a strong drive to sixth place on Sunday, just two days after the news, but he admits the 15 scoreless races which preceded Singapore this year hurt his chances of staying at Enstone.
"I've got a car that can score points and I am focused on doing the best job that I can," Palmer said on his outlook for the end of the year. "I would have loved it if the team had signed me for next year but with the way that the season has gone it is understandable that it has not happened. It has been a tough year all round.
"I want to go out with my head held high and prove I can do the job. At the end of the day the decision has been made so I've got six races to do what I can and I've got the kit to do the job."
Though rumours of Sainz taking his Renault drive from the next race in Malaysia have lingered in recent days Palmer has maintained his belief he will see out the season with the team. Having finally scored points in Singapore the Englishman thinks he is in a good position to show other teams on the grid what he is capable of.
"The next couple of races should be good for us and even stronger than Singapore," he said. "I'm still excited for the performance we've got as a team and still excited to be racing in a competitive car that I think is the fourth best, especially when we move on to the next few tracks, so there is a lot to be encouraged by. I'm not worried about next year."