Petra Ecclestone is engaged to boyfriend Sam Palmer - 14 months after divorcing husband James Stunt.

The 30-year-old Formula One heiress, who has three children with Stunt, has been dating Maddox art gallery director Sam for a year after being introduced by sister Tamara's husband Jay Rutland.

Sam took to Instagram on New Years Eve to announce the happy news.

He wrote: "A personal thank you to everyone that made opening Maddox Gallery Los Angeles possible. I hope everyone had as an amazing year as us and that 2019 brings lots of love,health and happiness to all. My personal highlights have been opening the gallery in LA with the woman I love and her agreeing to marry me Here is to a fantastic 2019."

Sam shared this snap to announce his engagement to Petra (
Image:
Instagram)

Jay, 37, dedicated a cryptic congratulatory post to Petra and his pal Sam on Instagram before they had announced their engagement.

Jay, who is married to Petra's sister Tamara, 34, shared a shot of a man's inner lip tattooed with the name 'Rutland', alongside the caption: 'Congratulations @petraecclestone & @sam_maddoxgalleryla - I can see what attracted you to him...'

In a statement to Mail Online, Petra's publicist said: "'Petra Ecclestone and Sam Palmer are delighted to announce their engagement and look forward to spending 2019 together."

James and Petra saw their divorce finalised following an explosive court case - in which James was accused of making a “gun gesture” to Petra’s billionaire father Bernie Ecclestone while in court.

Petra's ex James Stunt pictured outside court following explosive divorce hearing (
Image:
Flynet)
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Petra has since won sole custody of her three children with James, daughter Lavinia (born in Febraury 2013) and twin sons James and Andrew, (born in April 2015).

James recently made headlines when he hit out at the Ecclestone family in an interview - where he branded Bernie a “dwarf”, Petra a “C-List” star, and compared former mother-in-law Slavica to Shakespearean villain "Lady Macbeth”.

The insults provoked Petra's sister Tamara to hit back at James on social media where she blasted: "Unless he stops telling lies about my family we will have to start telling the truth about him."