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Palmer walks away from buying Silverstone

Motorsport Vision boss Jonathan Palmer who made a bid for Silverstone last year has said that he is no longer considering in acquiring the circuit.

With the BRDC's current woes regarding the running of the British GP and the eventuality that it could activate the exit clause of its current contract with FOM, it was believed that a change of ownership of Silverstone could eventually preserve the track as the venue of choice for the showcase event.

BRDC dismisses reports of Silverstone dropping British GP

Palmer's decision to walk away from a deal to acquire Silverstone does not necessarily add to the BRDC's predicament.

It is rather a reflection of Motorsport Vision's decision to commit to the future of Donington which the company recently acquired.

"We expressed an interest [in Silverstone] initially, but we are going to focus our operations on our existing businesses," Palmer told Autosport.

"This deal with Donington was not a deal instead of Silverstone, it was completely separate. But we have no plans to operate Silverstone anymore."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.