MotorSport Vision Chief Executive Jonathan Palmer was presented with the Prince Michael Award of Merit at the Motorsport UK Awards last night (Saturday).
The prize is the highest personal award made by the Motor Sports Council, and is given to a maximum of two individuals per year in recognition of meritorious service to UK motorsport.
Previous winners of the award include the FIA's Medical Rescue Coordinator Dr Ian Roberts, former BARC Chief Executive Dennis Carter, lead F1 steward Tony Scott Andrews, and Professor Sid Watkins.
Under Palmer's leadership, MSV has transformed Brands Hatch, Cadwell Park, Snetterton and Oulton Park into vastly improved facilities for competitors, spectators and officials, while Donington Park has been given the same treatment since joining the group in 2017. In recent years, MSV has expanded internationally with the Laon Autodrome project in France, while Circuito de Navarra became part of the group in 2022.
MSV also runs and operates the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, the GB3 and GB4 single-seater categories, and administers almost 30 series through the MotorSport Vision Racing arm. In addition, MSV is in the process of converting Donington Hall into a class-leading motorsport hotel.
Several other leading motorsport personalities were recognised during the awards presentation. Martin Brundle was the inaugural recipient of the Murray Walker Award for services to broadcasting, while Sir Patrick Head, who alongside Sir Frank Williams handed Palmer his first F1 race drive, was presented with the Keith Duckworth Award for technical excellence in motorsport design and engineering.
George Russell, who won his first car racing championship title in MSV's BRDC F4 Championship, won the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most successful British F1 driver of the year, while former McLaren Team Principal Ron Dennis claimed the Lifetime Achievement Award.