Richards calls for accountability

With the FIA on the verge of agreeing a deal for the global promotion of the WRC with one of three interested parties, Richards says there has to be clarity on the direction of the sport and responsibility taken by those charged with future development of the championship.

One of the key questions in the negotiations for the global rights to the WRC is the calendar. Autosport's sources suggest the rights holder will not have control over which rallies are included - with one leading team manager saying: "This is like buying a shop, but then being told what you can and can't sell in that shop."

Richards agreed with this stance.

"Without the [control of] the calendar, the position [of global promoter] is worthless," he said. "The calendar is fundamental to everything. Somebody has to take responsibility. You have lots of people charged with technical issues and organisational issues, but not one single person is given the role of marketing the sport across the world."

He added that he had no problem with wide-ranging rule changes, provided they were well thought out, and came for good reasons and with culpability.

"Look at the winter calendar, for example," Richards continued. "If [WRC commercial rights holder] ISC has said it will get better television coverage from a winter calendar, then okay. But let's take them to task over it.

"I want to know what that actually means - is it a 20 per cent increase in viewing figures? If yes, great, I'll vote for that.

"Somebody has to be held accountable for this. We've got to look at all these things in context of what they deliver, not just a change on a whim without any objective measures which can be reviewed afterwards and then take people to task over.

"We have no problem in supporting these ideas. If they want to start rallies at midnight and run until the morning, then fine - as long as it adds value to the sport.

"The way forward is to start off with the fundamental principle that we are wasting our time cutting costs. We need to start building value.

"We seem to spend our lives (thinking about) how to save another five pounds here and there and completely ignoring the fact that we're not promoting and marketing the championship and making it more valuable to compete in. What we need is a marketable product."