Jonathan Charles Palmer was born on 7 November 1956 and is a British businessman and former Formula One racing driver.
22 Facts About Jonathan Palmer
2.
Jonathan Palmer worked as a junior physician at Cuckfield and Brighton hospitals.
3.
Jonathan Palmer is currently the majority shareholder and Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision, 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.
4.
Jonathan Palmer 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.
5.
Jonathan Palmer helped develop the McLaren F1 road car, and drove one to a new speed record for production cars.
6.
Jonathan Palmer 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.
7.
Jonathan Palmer won the British Formula 3 Championship in 1981, and landed a Williams Formula One test drive in 1982.
8.
Jonathan 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.
9.
Jonathan Palmer joined Zakspeed in 1985, starting in eight races and retiring from all except the 1985 Detroit Grand Prix, where he finished 11th.
10.
In 1987, Jonathan Palmer talked with McLaren boss Ron Dennis about becoming the team's No 2 driver to double World Champion Alain Prost.
11.
Dennis ultimately signed Stefan Johansson, and Jonathan Palmer joined Tyrrell a week before the season's opening race in Brazil.
12.
Jonathan Palmer won championship points in three races, and it was in the Australian Grand Prix that he achieved his career-best fourth-place finish.
13.
Jonathan Palmer won the Jim Clark Cup, a championship for drivers of normally aspirated cars.
14.
Jonathan Palmer stayed with Tyrrell for the next two seasons, during which his best results were two 5th-place finishes and three 6th.
15.
Between 1983 and 1990 Jonathan Palmer competed in the World Sportscar Championship at the wheel of a Group C Porsche.
16.
In 1991 Jonathan Palmer came seventh in the British Touring Car Championship, driving a Prodrive BMW.
17.
Jonathan Palmer launched the Formula Jonathan Palmer Audi Championship in 1998 as a less costly alternative to Formula 3.
18.
Jonathan Palmer has turned around the fortunes of each circuit, and implemented a programme of improvements at each venue to develop better facilities for spectators and circuit users.
19.
Jolyon Jonathan Palmer, the 2014 GP2 Series champion, drove for RenaultSport F1 Team during the 2016 and 2017 seasons and is a commentator and columnist for BBC Sport F1.
20.
Jonathan's younger son Will Palmer won the BRDC F4 Championship and the prestigious McLaren Autosport BRDC Award in 2015, and finished second in Renault Eurocup in 2017.
21.
Jonathan Palmer has two daughters: Emily, an accountant, and Alice, a professional equestrian showjumper.
22.
Jonathan Palmer married Emma Collins in 2018, having separated from his first wife, Gill, in 2011.