Richards to step down from ISC

Speaking in an exclusive interview with autosport.com, Richards said he intends to step back from the position within the next month to focus on the Subaru World Rally team, which Richard's Prodrive company runs.

He will then work towards their Formula One entry in 2008.

Richards bought ISC in April 2000. In that time the company has worked to improve television coverage and promote the championship to a wider audience, for example using Playstation's popular video game series.

"My role in the commercial aspect is actually coming to an end now," Richards told autosport.com.

"The sport has adjusted itself to the needs of the media, the TV requirements, and I see this now as an opportune time, because over the next month I will be standing back from that and handing over to an excellent team of people we've got in place running it today.

"And the great benefit from that, it will then allow me to put back my blue-and-yellow Subaru shirt and have a stronger involvement back in the team again, because that's, quite frankly, the bit I enjoy."

"[ISC is] a mature business now. It is different. In the early stages, it required a big interface with the sport. It required the sport to understand the needs of the media, understand the needs of commercial demands from outside.

"And so that was the interface I provided. I was the one who spent lots of time with the organisers and lots of time with the teams, lots of time with the FIA, trying to coax people into a change and restructuring things for the future.

"That process is coming to an end, in my view, and it is moving more and more into conventional media-promoter relationship now. The boundaries are defined, if you like.

"The FIA knows what's required of ISC, the teams know it, and the relationship with the event organisers is all established in quite strong contractual forms. And with that job done, you can hand over to a professional team who will take it forward."

Read the full in-depth interview with David Richards in this week's journal.