MotorSport Vision

Did You Know?

• The BRDC Formula 4 Championship launched in 2013 sold all 24 cars within a month.
• On 30 September 2022, MSV won the bid for purchasing Circuito de Navarra in northern Spain.

History

MotorSport Vision was founded in 1997 by John Britten, Sir Peter Ogden, and Jonathan Palmer. In 2004, the company acquired the Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, Snetterton, and Cadwell Park circuits from Octagon, a division of The Interpublic Group of Companies. Two years later, MSV established MotorSport Vision Racing (MSVR), which organizes over 35 events annually across more than ten UK circuits. MSV's track day division, MSV Trackdays, has become one of the UK's largest track day companies, offering novice events and advanced driver training. The company also runs driving experiences at Brands Hatch, Donington Park, Oulton Park, and Snetterton. From 1998 to 2010, MSV operated the Formula Palmer Audi championship as a rival to Formula Three. In 2008, MSV acquired the rights to the British Superbike Championship. That same year, it won an FIA tender to supply cars and operate the FIA Formula Two Championship, which was discontinued after 2012. In 2013, MSV launched the BRDC Formula 4 Championship, which evolved into the BRDC British F3 Championship before the 2016 season. In 2015, MSV purchased the freehold of a former military airbase in northeastern France for development into a motorsports complex. On 12 January 2017, MSV announced it would take over the Donington Park circuit business under a 21-year lease. The Donington Park portfolio expanded in 2021 with the purchase of the Donington Hall estate, including plans for a hotel and workshops.

Circuits

In 1986, John Foulston bought Brands Hatch, Oulton Park, and Snetterton from Grovewood Securities and formed Brands Hatch Leisure (BHL). The company acquired Cadwell Park the following year. During this period, Brands Hatch hosted Formula 3000 and Superbike World Championship events. Circuit changes in 1988 included a chicane at Dingle Dell Corner and tightening of Westfield Bend and Graham Hill Bend. New pits and corporate facilities were added in the late 1990s. In 1999, Foulston announced Brands Hatch had acquired the rights to the British Grand Prix from 2002. After discussions over planning permission, Foulston sold BHL to Octagon Motorsports for £120 million. Octagon failed to obtain planning permission and leased Silverstone for the Grand Prix. High-profile single-seater racing returned to Brands Hatch in 2003 with a CART series round attracting around 40,000 spectators, but the race was not retained. Octagon sold the four circuits to MotorSport Vision in 2004. Subsequently, Brands Hatch hosted the FIA World Touring Car Championship, A1GP, and DTM, along with events such as American SpeedFest, Blancpain GT Series, Festival Italia, and Deutsche Fest. In 2007, Oulton Park was voted the best UK circuit by British Superbike fans. A BTCC meeting on 27 July 2008 at Oulton Park drew 35,000 spectators, a record for the circuit and the highest BTCC crowd at any venue in a decade.

Series

MotorSport Vision operates several national categories on two and four wheels, including British Superbikes and the open-wheel GB3 and GB4 Championships. It previously ran the Formula Palmer Audi and FIA Formula Two Championships. MSV Racing administers 27 other racing categories, including club-level single-seaters, saloons, sports cars, and prototypes, and runs over 45 motor racing events each season across UK circuits, as well as the UK round of the Formula E Championship. In 2008, MSV took over organization and promotion of the British Superbike Championship from Dorna; the 2008 season was MSV's first in charge, with Shane Byrne taking the title. The championship is screened live by Eurosport and Quest. The GB3 Championship is recognized as the leading single-seater championship in the UK, featuring nine teams and averaging over 20 drivers per race since rebranding from BRDC British F3 in August 2021. Its origin traces to a Formula 4 series operated by the 750 Motor Club; in September 2012, MSV reached a deal to create the BRDC Formula 4 Championship. That series was rebranded as BRDC British Formula 3 in 2016, then as GB3 in 2021. Zak O'Sullivan was the first GB3 champion and won the Autosport BRDC Award. A new car, the Tatuus MSV-022, was introduced in 2022. The GB4 Championship was announced in September 2021 and held its first event in April 2022, using the Tatuus F4-T014 car. Formula Palmer Audi, founded in 1998 by Jonathan Palmer, aimed to keep costs low while promoting competitive racing, and produced ex-F1 driver Justin Wilson and triple World Touring Car Champion Andy Priaulx.