JOLYON Palmer, competing in his last race for Renault, finished 12th in the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Briton was due to leave the Enstone-based Formula 1 team at the end of the season, to be replaced by the Toro Rosso driver Carlos Sainz Jnr.
But Renault said in a statement that the team and Palmer had agreed to end their relationship after the Japanese race and that Sainz would race in the last four grand prixs of the season.
Palmer finished ahead of his teammate Nico Hulkenberg who had to retire.
Felipe Massa, in his Grove-prepared Williams, came tenth after being overtaken in the closing stages by the Banbury-based Haas duo of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, who finished eighth and ninth respectively.
The other Williams driver, Lance Stroll, retired on lap 45.
Lewis Hamilton extended his lead to 59 points with a victory, as his nearest competitor Sebastian Vettel had to retire
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