Jonathan Palmer

Jonathan Charles Palmer (born 7 November 1956) is a British businessman and former Formula One racing driver.

Before opting for a career in motor racing, Palmer trained as a physician at London's Guy's Hospital.

He also worked as a junior physician at Cuckfield and Brighton hospitals.

He is currently the majority shareholder and Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision (MSV), a company that runs six UK motorsport circuits, the PalmerSport corporate driving event at Bedford Autodrome and several racing championships including British Superbikes and GB3.

He went on to work as a doctor at Cuckfield and Brighton hospitals, and opted for a professional driving career after he had participated in Formula Ford from 1978 to 1980.

He won the British Formula 3 Championship in 1981, and landed a Williams Formula One test drive in 1982.

The following year he won the European Formula Two Championship, and the British Racing Drivers' Club awarded him their Gold Star.

Prior to his business life, Palmer was active in Formula One between 1983 and 1989, and drove for Tyrrell, Williams, RAM, and Zakspeed.

He won 14 Championship points from 83 starts.

He also raced a Group C Porsche in sports car events between 1983 and 1990, winning the 1984 1000 km of Brands Hatch with co-driver Jan Lammers and taking second place at the 1985 24 Hours of Le Mans with co-drivers James Weaver and Richard Lloyd.

Palmer helped develop the McLaren F1 road car, and drove one to a new speed record for production cars.

Following his education at Brighton College, Palmer raced an Austin Healey Sprite and a Marcos in club events while he was a medical student at Guy's Hospital.

Palmer joined Williams as a test driver for the 1982 and 1983 seasons whilst racing in F2, and made his Formula One debut at Brands Hatch on 25 September 1983, driving a Williams in the European Grand Prix.

This drive was a 'thank you' from Frank Williams and Patrick Head.

Between 1983 and 1990 Palmer competed in the World Sportscar Championship at the wheel of a Group C Porsche.

Moving to the Skoal Bandit RAM March team in 1984, his six finishes yielded one 8th place, three 9th, one 10th, and one 13th.

With co-driver Jan Lammers he won the 1984 1000 km of Brands Hatch.

He joined Zakspeed in 1985, starting in eight races and retiring from all except the 1985 Detroit Grand Prix, where he finished 11th.

At Le Mans, his best result from five starts was second place in 1985, with co-drivers James Weaver and Richard Lloyd.

Sixteen starts with the same team in 1986 resulted in eight retirements and a best finish of 8th in Detroit.

In 1987, Palmer talked with McLaren boss Ron Dennis about becoming the team's No. 2 driver to double World Champion Alain Prost.

Dennis ultimately signed Stefan Johansson, and Palmer joined Tyrrell a week before the season's opening race in Brazil.

Although outpaced by its turbocharged competitors, Tyrrell's naturally-aspirated Cosworth-powered car proved reliable, and it was nimble on tighter circuits.

Palmer won championship points in three races, and it was in the Australian Grand Prix that he achieved his career-best fourth-place finish.

He also won the Jim Clark Cup, a championship for drivers of normally aspirated cars.

He stayed with Tyrrell for the next two seasons, during which his best results were two 5th-place finishes and three 6th.

At the end of 1989 he signed as McLaren's test driver.

In 1991 Palmer came seventh in the British Touring Car Championship, driving a Prodrive BMW.

Also that year he became a pit lane reporter for the BBC F1 commentary team.

PalmerSport was founded in 1991 to run corporate hospitality motorsport events.

This was initially run from the Bruntingthorpe airfield in Leicestershire before the lease was acquired to develop the site now known as Bedford Autodrome.

Following James Hunt's death from a heart attack after the 1993 Canadian Grand Prix, Palmer joined the BBC commentary box alongside Murray Walker.

At the end of 1996 the BBC lost the rights to broadcast F1, and in 1997 Palmer joined the CBC for its annual commentary on the Grand Prix of Canada.

Palmer's work with McLaren included development of the McLaren F1 road car, and he drove one to a record-breaking 231 mph at the Nardo test track.

Palmer launched the Formula Palmer Audi Championship in 1998 as a less costly alternative to Formula 3.

Inaugural champion Justin Wilson went on to win the Formula 3000 championship.

With Palmer managing his career, an innovative share issue in Wilson helped him secure a Formula One drive with Minardi.

Palmer opened the venue in 1999 as four separate circuits with a total of six miles of track, to become the permanent home for PalmerSport.

The venue is also used for trackdays.

He finished 13th out of 26 starters.