Donington Park managing director Christopher Tate has left the business. His departure follows the takeover of the Midlands venue by Motorsport Vision, owners of Brands Hatch,

Oulton Park, Snetterton and Cadwell Park.

In a note to colleagues and clients, Tate said: "I am very proud of what our team at Donington has achieved over the past seven years. We inherited a circuit venue in a very difficult position in 2010 following the collapse of the previous operators F1 aspirations and have brought this much loved circuit back to full operation. The sale of Donington Park completes this process with big investment already underway."

The freehold of the venue, which also hosts rock concert Download and is the HQ for Formula E, remains with the Wheatcroft family. MSV, owned by Jonathan Palmer, took out a long term lease last year. Chris York will remain as venue manager working with Stuart Higgs and the MSV management team.

It is believed Tate, who has a long career in motor sport  both in the UK and the US, will continue to be involved in other ventures.