Palmer insists he will race in Malaysia

The Briton has yet to score a point this season, while teammate Nico Hulkenberg has picked up all 34 of Renault's points as the team currently sits eighth in the constructors' championship. With Renault targeting fifth place, the impending power until supplier swaps between McLaren and Toro Rosso for 2018 is understood to have been facilitated by Red Bull agreeing to loan Carlos Sainz to Renault.

While RACER understands Renault is keen to replace Palmer after this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix but has yet to finalize a way of ending his contract, the 2014 GP2 champion insists he has a deal that will keep him in place until the end of the season.

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"I have a contract with seven more races this year," Palmer said. "There has been suggestions for about 35 races that I might not be in the next few so this is nothing new for me, it is water off a duck's back. It is the same to most races this year so nothing has changed.

"I've got seven races to do so I will be in Malaysia and racing until Abu Dhabi."

However, Palmer admitted he was expecting changes in the near future, with news of Renault's deal with McLaren and Honda's switch to Toro Rosso due on Friday.

"I don't care too much to talk about [the speculation], no. I know what is happening and I know there will be an announcement at some point in the future, not too long, but for me I am excited about the future. I haven't thought about it too much but I am excited for what is to come.

"I'm just focused on the job that I am doing and I am trying not to pay any attention to that sort of thing. For me, I have seven races left this year to do the best that I can. Obviously it has been a bit of a tough year and the last two races have been much better even if in the end they didn't show it. The performance has been there or thereabouts. Hopefully the car will be better at these tracks and we can finally get some points."