by Rob Wilkins

Prodrive boss, David Richards has confirmed that heꦍ will be more hands-on at the Subaru World Rally Team next ye๊ar.

Subaru's WRC team is of course run by Prodrive, however this season, t⛎he Banbury-based squad haven't had the best of results and his return, may well in part, be a response to this.

It is still though a somewhat surprising decision, as he will also be extremely busy, to say the least, organising Prodrive's preparations to enter the FIA Formula One World Championship in 2008, when they will take on the likes of Ferrari, McLaren and Renault. Speaking exclusively to ltxcn.top Radio at t🏅he Rallyday in the UK on Saturday, when asked if he might step-back from the WRC, in light of Prodrive's success in ﷽gaining the twelfth and final slot in F1 he said that would not be the case.

"Oh [I plan to st𒉰ay involved in WRC] - very much so, but less so on the media rights side of it and more so back with the team again at Subaru🔯. I would like to get more involved with that next year," he noted. "The TV rights, the media side stuff is mature now and we have got a great solid team of people in there, so it is time for me to stand back from that."

As for if the Subaru WRT can improve in the second half of the season, Richard꧂s is quietly confident the team's෴ results will be better.

"They have done a lot of testing and development work, Pirelli have been working hard on the꧒ tyres for the latter part of the year, so if everything c♑omes together, I am sure they will be very good," he added. "As I say, I will be spending more time with the team towards the end of the season and certainly for next year."

Sebastien Loeb has once again been dominant this season. However while Richards believes he is odds onto take the title for a third year inꦺ a row, he doesn't think the Frenchman w🍬ill have it all his own way.

"Loeb looks in a very assertive position. [However] Marcus [Gronholm] is clearly very good in the Ford ♒and of course Petter, towards the latter part of the year, I am sure he can notch up a few wins as well," concluded Richards.