Exclusive! BAR and Prodrive link up

But in a surprise move, Richards, whose new title is BAR team principal designate, revealed he will continue as chairman both of motorsport engineering company Prodrive, and of television company International Sportsworld Communicators - Richards' brainchild for bringing a 'television revolution' to world rallying.
Richards, whose Prodrive-built Subaru Impreza world rally cars have won five world titles in the last seven seasons, said the BAR-Prodrive alliance would forge a formidable new alliance.

"Initially Prodrive has a management services contract with BAR. The intent is that that will grow into a closer relationship," he said. "To understand why we are doing this you have to go back a number of years to the starting point of Prodrive's aspirations in Formula 1.

"I have never hidden the fact that I would never personally go back into F1 as an individual ambition. But I saw it very much as a corporate ambition for Prodrive."

Richards, who co-drove Ari Vatanen to the 1981 world rally drivers' title before founding Prodrive in the same year, said the initial approach to become involved in BAR's management structure had come from the board of British American Tobacco, which owns the BAR team.

He added that in the early stages of the two organisations' relationship there would be minimal technical crossover.

Prodrive's management expertise, however, had been identified by BAT as the most important asset the company could bring to BAR.

William Morrison, ISC managing director, said: "David will, of course, remain as Chairman of International Sportsworld Communicators.

"He will, however, be less involved in the day-to-day operational running of ISC as he has now reached the point where he feels he can fully empower his management team and assume a more typical chairman's role, albeit I am sure he will be attending most of the WRC events."