Grapevine: FIA Seek to Limit Richards in Rally

Rallying's commercial rights holder David Richards could be stripped of his voting rights on a key decision-making commission under a proposal put forward by the governing FIA.

The International Automobile Federation (FIA) has been at loggerheads with Richards and some manufacturers over controversial changes for next season.

An FIA document, obtained by Reuters today, proposed reducing the FIA's World Rally Championship Commission from 13 voting members to six.

Just two manufacturers or teams would vote - those first and last in the championship - while the representative of the commercial rights holder, Richards, would be one of two non-voting members.

Richards currently has voting rights.

An FIA spokesman would not confirm or deny the inclusion of the proposal in a dossier to be presented to a meeting of the FIA's world motor sport council in Paris on October 15.

The controversial measures include expanding the championship calendar to 16 rounds from 14, limiting teams to two drivers, restricting testing and limiting the use of certain expensive materials.

Richards, a former world champion co-driver who owns rights holders ISC and also runs the BAR Formula One team, has questioned some of the changes.

"They certainly do raise question marks over a lot of the commercial viability of the championship," he said last month.

The FIA document said the decision to reduce the size of the commission had been taken for various reasons.

"At a recent meeting, the manufacturers' representatives held a pre-meeting and nominated a spokesman to state their united view.

"In these circumstances there is little point in all of them being present," the document stated.

"The current composition of the commission means that either the manufacturers or the promoters/organisers can in effect hold a veto over all decisions of the commission.

"Clearly this is not productive in terms of developing the championship."