Following a successful debut in China, Jolyon Palmer will return to the track in Bahrain this Friday (17 April) as he competes in his second Free Practice session for Lotus F1 Team as part of his role as Third and Reserve Driver.

The 24-year-old is familiar with the Bahrain International Circuit having raced there numerous times in GP2, including last year when he claimed victory in the Sprint Race at the start of a record-breaking, title-winning season.

Jolyon completed 25 laps of the Shanghai International Circuit last Friday (10 April) as he made his Grand Prix weekend debut during Free Practice One in China, finishing in 15th position, just six-tenths of a second off team-mate Pastor Maldonado. He worked through a schedule of aerodynamic and set-up evaluation work, beginning the session with data collecting aero rakes attached to his E23 Hybrid, and impressed the team with his pace and technical feedback.

Two days later, Romain Grosjean scored Lotus F1 Team's first points of the 2015 season with a strong drive to seventh place, promoting the Frenchman to ninth in the drivers' standings and the team to eighth in the constructors' table. 

Jolyon commented: "After my first Free Practice session in China it's great to be back in the car this Friday in Bahrain, a track I know well and won at in GP2 last year. My aim will be the same and the programme will be similar; we will be testing some new parts and further evaluating existing ideas. It was great that the team got its first points of the season in China and hopefully we can build on that now, starting in Bahrain."

In addition to his F1 duties, Jolyon, the 2014 GP2 Champion, will provide commentary analysis of the series' opening two races of the season this weekend in the Persian Gulf.

You can follow Free Practice One in Bahrain this Friday (17 April) live on Sky's F1 Channel from 11:45am and with updates here on Jolyon's official website www.jolyonpalmer.com, with GP2 throughout the weekend also on Sky Sports F1.