F1: Richards confirms Prodrive are out
By LJ Hutchins
Friday, January 11th, 2008
Prodrive boss David Richards has confirmed that his company is unlikely to be participating in Formula One racing in the foreseeable future.
Speaking at the Autosport International Show, he said that the new Concorde Agreement which will govern the next few years of the sport, will effectively ruled out customer teams.
He told Autosport.com: “[It] ultimately determines that each team has to be a constructor, and the barriers to entry are horrendous.
“The barrier to entry and being competitive make it virtually impossible, so I do have to question under those terms whether we will consider doing it.
“I am waiting now. There is nothing I can do to influence it any longer. I have done my best and we will sit and wait, let the dust settle and then see what happens.”
Prodrive was awarded the 12th grid slot by the FIA last year in a competitive battle that included former team bosses Paul Stoddart and Eddie Jordan as well as former driver Eddie Irvine and BAR co-founder Craig Pollock.
It was all set to line up on the grid in March with a McLaren customer car – until a lack of clarity about the legal position of such cars was brought to a head by the threat of court action from Williams team boss Sir Frank Williams.
Richards continued: “I just think it is a folly. It plays into the hands of very large organisations with limitless resources and it doesn’t serve the interests of the sport well.
“A disparity as great as we have today from the front of the grid to the back is not healthy, and the fact that a new entry is nigh on impossible also is not healthy.
“I believe firmly that the ideas and concept that the FIA had two years ago, of introducing the idea of a customer based vehicle, was exactly the right way to go.”
He said that he will be concentrating on rebuilding the competitive edge of his Subaru World Rally Championship (WRC) team.
When asked if Prodrive ever would race in F1, he said: “I believe firmly that Prodrive should be there. There is no question in my mind that we should be there.
“But we are not going to be there without any consideration for the terms of being there.”
Related posts:
- F1: David Richards on Prodrive’s future in the series
- F1: Prodrive’s debut looks increasingly unlikely
- F1: Could a new British team soon be racing?
- F1: Concorde negotiations are warming up
- Lola is considering future of F1 project
This entry was posted on Friday, January 11th, 2008 at 2:36 pm and is filed under F1. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Don't forget you can keep up with Brits on Pole in the following ways: via RSS feed, or by receiving our weekly newsletter (and get a free F1 ebook when you do). Or follow us on Twitter or Racing Blips.
Author: LJ Hutchins. Supports McLaren, kind of. Thinks James May gets a rough deal off the other two. Drives a Subaru Impreza but regrets its lack of bright blue paint and gold wheels. Is very nearly old enough to know better but probably never will. Is a supporter member of the BWRDC. LJ has written 1117 articles for us.
