Richards hopes Honda can find buyer

Richards had been in talks with the Brackley-based team's chiefs at the end of last year about heading up a buyout - in the wake of the announcement that the Honda Motor Company wanted to withdraw from the sport with immediate effect.

And although Richards was unable to conclude a deal, as autosport.com revealed earlier this month, he says that he would still like to see another party be more successful in their negotiations.

Speaking to autosport.com, Richards said: "I really hope there is a solution there because there are a lot of great people at that team.

"It is a team that should be racing and I am still a great supporter of Jenson Button. I think he has never had his fair opportunity to shine and show his true talents.

"But being realistic, in the current world, it's going to be a very difficult uphill battle."

With the team needing around six weeks to integrate an engine into their 2009 car design, Honda Racing effectively need to settle on a deal in the next fortnight if they are to make the season-opening race.

Sources close to the negotiations suggest that there is optimism the situation will get resolved by the Australian Grand Prix, but Richards claims that the process has not been helped by the timing of Honda's decision to withdraw from the sport when they did.

Asked whether it would have been better to put the team up for sale once they had proved their their 2009 package was competitive Richards replied: "It was never their intention to sell the team, that's the difference. As I understand it, it was not Honda's intention, nor their preconception that it would be a realistic proposition.

"If it had been thought about and pre-planned a little bit more then I am sure it would have been done differently."