The Observer

David Richards just can't leave Formula One alone. In 2008 he will become a Grand Prix team boss for the third time in less than ten years. But the difference is this time it will be on his terms.

When the FIA announced last Friday that Prodrive had been granted the golden ticket of F1's 12th team slot, the motor racing world could barely raise a collective eyebrow. It was hardly a surprise.

In the run-up to the big announcement it became clear that as many as 11 bidders were jostling for the single place in the paddock, but of these only three were really taken seriously: Prodrive, the Japanese Direxiv group fronted by Jean Alesi, and ambitious F3 team boss Trevor Carlin. And of those, Prodrive had the edge.

As Max Mosley said last week, not only does this respected and experienced motorsport company have the understanding of what an F1 bid means and the financial clout to make it a reality, it also has a perfect frontman. Richards is a true all-rounder with an acute business acumen combined with an expansive sporting knowledge of what it takes to compete in rallying, sportscar racing, touring cars - and, most importantly, F1.

For a man as driven and successful as Richards, F1 was always going to be an itch he couldn't ignore. It's the one area of the sport he has yet to conquer.

When he was appointed as the chief of the Benetton team in September 1997, the former champions were on the slide. Yes, Gerhard Berger had won the German Grand Prix earlier in the summer, but that fooled no one. The 'dream team' of Michael Schumacher, Ross Brawn and Rory Byrne were long gone, to build a new empire at Ferrari.

David Richards and Flavio Briatore © LAT

Richards came in and quickly made an impact. He knew what he wanted, but he found that he couldn't be the master of his own destiny. Just over a year later, he was gone, frustrated that his F1 ambitions could not be realised as an employee. A role as the boss of world rallying's commercial rights awaited him, but we knew he'd be back in F1 one day.

It took until 2001. Again he was contracted, via his company Prodrive, this time at BAR-Honda, an outfit that had consistently under-delivered since its birth in '99. He took over the helm from Craig Pollock, friend and manager of Jacques Villeneuve, and the man who had convinced the '97 world champion to join an unproven new team. In Villeneuve's eyes, Pollock was an impossible act to follow.

Richards failed to get the best out of Villeneuve and inevitably they split - acrimoniously. But in the three seasons Richards managed BAR, the team's fortunes did improve. He also snared Jenson Button - even if he almost lost him again to Williams.

But again contracted employment and Richards could not last. At the end of 2004 he was off, leaving the team to Honda and Nick Fry.

So what are his prospects this time? Well, Richards has always been a smooth talker and he is predictably bullish about Prodrive's chances. The new cost-cutting measures will make 2008 the perfect time for a new team to be launched, he says, and he reckons starting from a proverbial clean sheet of paper will actually be an advantage. We'll see.

The first challenge he faces is a potential mountain. Planning permission for a new factory in Honiley, Warwickshire, has already hit a snag. The red tape could knock his build deadlines completely out of kilter, and he might have to face relying on Prodrive's current M40-hugging Banbury base a little more than he would like.

The journey from a guaranteed F1 entry to a pair of Prodrives lining up on the grid in less than two years will be epic. It is possible - Super Aguri managed it in little more than six months - but from scratch? 'Off-the-peg' chassis and customer engines might be the most realistic goal - and probably more likely to net results in the short term.

So if someone of Richards' calibre is facing a daunting task to enter F1, is it right that the field should be limited to just 12 team entries? On the ground of ensuring quality control and therefore safety, which is the priority of the FIA, then probably yes.

But even though Mosley has said that opening the grid up to a 13th team is "unlikely", it hasn't been completely ruled out. So there might still be hope for Direxiv and Trevor Carlin - and personally I hope they both get the chance to join Prodrive in the future.

I understand the measured reasons for limiting the numbers of F1 entrants. There are sound practicalities to consider, such as circuit pit complexes being built with a maximum of 12 garages. But I guess I'm a romantic - I like the idea of the little guys taking on the might of the manufacturers.

Tom Pryce (Token RJ02 Ford) 1974 Belgian Grand Prix, Nivelles © LAT

A return to the 1970s is probably a little extreme, when every man and his dog tried to build an F1 car. No, we don't need modern-day Makis and Tokens on the grid come 2008. Neither do we want the equivalent of the deadweight Life from 1990. Yes, there has to be a vetting of entries.

But why not free it up? Why have limits? F1 is struggling to make Fridays interesting at Grands Prix. So how about the return of pre-qualifying? That used to be a story in itself, as the minnows frantically battled it out for the right to go through to the weekend and attempt to qualify for the race.

A pack of pre-qualifiers, featuring hungry young chargers taking the only F1 drives they can get and veterans who just can't say no to another shot at the big time, would add another dimension to the story of a Grand Prix.

Now there are those with agendas against such a scenario. Some team bosses believe that increasing the size of the entry list would dilute the pool of potential sponsors. That's cold, hard, realistic self-interest talking - but that doesn't make it the best thing for F1.

Yes, there are strong arguments to keep modern F1's impenetrable air of exclusivity. Yet everyone loved small, friendly Minardi - simply because they were the plucky underdog that wasn't intimidated by the big guns. And Minardi were a serious racing team, just as they had to be to deserve a place in F1.

Anyway, back to reality. There was only one entry up for grabs and David Richards deserved it. Now he has a third shot at F1, and this time he controls his destiny.

Prodrive faces a mammoth task, but if anyone can do it - and do it properly - it's Richards. Third time lucky?