Testing ahead of the 2016 Formula One season begins in Barcelona next week (22-25 February), with Jolyon Palmer having the honour of giving the new Renault Sport Formula One Team RS16 its maiden run.

Jolyon is set to carry out driving duties for the opening two days at the Circuit de Catalunya, before new team-mate Kevin Magnussen takes over on Wednesday and Thursday.

"I've never been more looking forward to driving a car than the RS16 on Monday," said Jolyon. "It feels like such a long winter but it's almost over, and to drive the first laps of the car I will make my Grand Prix debut in next month is unbelievably exciting."

While next week's test marks the first opportunity for Jolyon to hit the track as a fully fledged works driver, the 25-year-old recognises there's little time for sentiment in what is a vital pre-season period for both him and the team.

"With testing being cut from 12 to 8 days for this year it's important to get as many laps in as possible in that time," continued Jolyon. "We have so much to learn about the car but also the engine because of the move back to Renault. Every run we will learn something new and keep honing the performance each day."

Four more days of pre-season running are scheduled before the opening race of the year, with teams once again heading to the Spanish Grand Prix venue in the first week of March. Following the relatively short test programme Jolyon will then travel to Australia where he'll make his F1 debut in Melbourne on 20 March.

It has been a busy few weeks for Jolyon as he firstly took part in the Renault Sport F1 launch in Paris, where many details of the manufacturer's upcoming campaign were unveiled. The 2014 GP2 Champion was then featured in a number of national newspapers and on the front-cover of renowned motorsport magazineAutosport, which included an in-depth interview looking at his rise to the premier category of international motorsport and his aims for 2016.

You can keep up to date with all of next week's action from Spain right here on Jolyon's official website and be sure to follow the man himself for immediate updates via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.