Richards set to make changes at BAR

According to a report in AUTOSPORT's sister magazine, AUTOCAR, team boss David Richards held a meeting at BAR's Brackely base yesterday (Monday) to finalise major changes to the company's engineering structure.

Richards said last weekend: "I have to say that I think Jacques Villeneuve drove our car as fast as it is going to go in Malaysia. If that's the best our design team can do, then we will have to make fundamental changes. They've had enough resources and money over a long enough period to be in a better position than we are today."

Villeneuve reiterated his warning in Malaysia that he will quit the team at the end of the season if he does not see significant improvements.

Rumours have circulated in the past week that director of engineering Malcolm Oastler and chief of design Andy Green could be for the chop. When AUTOSPORT approached Richards last week before the Malaysian GP to ask if Oastler's job was under threat, a team spokeswoman said that Richards "would not even acknowledge the question".