David Richards recently denied persistent speculation that he may be looking to sell formula one’s twelfth team spot.
The former Benetton and BAR-Honda principal won the coveted tender for the vacant 2008 opening, but his likely car-engine partnership with McLaren-Mercedes led to rumours that Ron Dennis might buy the Prodrive entry and run it as a ‘B’ team next year.
It was also rumoured that the current ‘car sharing’ row had worried Richards or scared off potential sponsors.
But he would have been heartened by Max Mosley’s renewed backing of the customer car issue for 2008 and beyond this week, and admitted recently that he has been consistently “reassured” by the FIA president and also F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone about next year.
Richards also said of his Prodrive entry: “It is not for sale and it never has been for sale.”
