Prodrive coy on 2008 entry reports

As revealed by autosport.com, Formula One's governing body has chosen a 12th team to enter the sport in 2008 with the Prodrive company run by former BAR and Benetton boss Richards tipped as likely winners.

The governing FIA had no comment but confirmed an announcement would be made next Friday.

Richards, contacted by Reuters on Friday, would not confirm or deny increasing speculation that he had secured the slot.

"We have heard rumours of letters flying around but we have been told that the formal announcement will come next Friday and we await that with bated breath," he said.

Former Minardi boss Paul Stoddart confirmed, however, that he had received a rejection letter from the FIA.

"We got a 'not at this time but stay in touch' sort of letter," the Australian entrepreneur told Reuters by telephone from Britain.

A spokesman for the governing body, who received 22 applications from teams seeking to fill the 12 slots in the 2008 championship, said it would be inappropriate to comment on which teams had been successful.

However, paddock sources said the decision had been made, with the existing eleven teams expected to be joined by Banbury-based Prodrive.

Other hopefuls seeking an entry had included Carlin Motorsport, run by former Jordan sporting director Trevor Carlin, who have won a series of British Formula Three titles.

Stoddart, who had hoped to resurrect the Minardi name after selling his team to Red Bull last year, said he had always considered Prodrive as the favourite from the moment that Richards confirmed the application.

"When I applied there were only six confirmed entries but it was pretty much a foregone conclusion once the entries were submitted by the manufacturers," he said.

The Grand Prix Manufacturers' Association (GPMA), the five carmakers who have been threatening their own rival series from 2008, have entered despite failing to nail down a new commercial agreement after 2007.

Stoddart said he was disappointed, but not surprised, to have been rejected but warned that he was not giving up hope entirely.

"It's not over until the fat lady sings and they (the manufacturers, governing body and Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone) have got to get through a very interesting round of negotiations yet," he said.

The FIA had set March 31 as the deadline for applications for 2008, when the rules are expected to change significantly to cut costs and allow smaller privately-run teams such as Prodrive to compete with the major manufacturers.