Richards' tobacco warning

Cigarette firms had originally agreed to a voluntary tobacco ban with the EU at the end of 2006. However, new legislation introduced by the British government goes further than European directives by allowing British teams to be prosecuted if they race with tobacco advertising and the images are screened in the UK. As well as BAR, the law would affect McLaren and Jordan, who are both based in Britain with tobacco sponsorship.

"It's a major concern to me and it should be a major concern to everybody involved in Formula 1 because the knock on effect would be significant," said Richards. "If you take a very strict interpretation of the English legislation that has been put in place, you could say that we have to stop tobacco [advertising] by next year.

"That is my understanding and that is all around the world, wherever we compete. Because we are a British team based in England with a sponsor based in England we cannot run cigarette advertising in China, yet foreign-based teams outside the UK, with foreign sponsors, can do it. It is completely prejudicial to British F1 teams and is a real disaster in the making.

"Ferrari, the best funded team in the world, based in Italy with an American cigarette sponsor, will not suffer the same consequences as a UK team. It is just ludicrous that the UK government should countenance something like that and not see that problem."

Richards said that one possible solution for the team could be to relocate outside of the UK.

"We have to find alternative income and revenue streams next year, or we have to seriously cut back in our team, or look at alternatives like moving the team structure overseas. You could not move the actual structure, but you could move parts of the team abroad."