Newly-appointed British American Racing boss David Richards was introduced to the team and media alike at last week's official pre-s꧟eason launch. Here he talks about his plans for BAR, the departure of predecessor Craig P💯ollock, his World Rally commitments and a lot more....

Q:
David, was there any talk of Craig [Pollock] aꦉttending the launch if it was such an amicable decision for him to step down? Did he jump or was he pushed?

David Richards:
I haven't had any communication with Craiꦚg in the last few months, apart from a meeting𝔉 at Magny-Cours in the summer. All the discussions with Craig happened without my involvement whatsoever. So, really, I wasn't a party to that, and I literally first stepped foot in this place yesterday. I can't comment on that.

Q:
So you have got to hit the ground running then?

DR:
Yeah, but that is the same in most things and isn't any different ♛to anything else I have done.

Q:
It's an awkward way to start off though,♏ isn't it?

DR:
It is, but there is never an easy way to start things. You know, circumstances happen - and they've happened as they have done. You have to pick up the pieces🦹 and make the best of it. You forget one issue as well here - Jacques [Villeneuve] has commented that Craig is coming back as his manager, and the last time Craig was Jacques' manager he won the▨ world championship.

Q:
When did you start having talks to join BAR?

DR:
Well, these things don't happen overnight, quite clearly. You don't wake up one morning and someone rings and says would you like to run a Formula One team. We [Pro𓆏drive] have been very closely connecte🍷d to BAT, because of our involvement on the rally side, and we have been in discussions with them about further involvement in the future. I ended up socialising with a number of people there, and was approached sometime ago but, to be honest with you, I declined and said: "sorry, this wasn't for me, thank-you very much".

Then over the last few weeks, ten days, we have discussed a revised proposal - not ab✃out me, but Prodrive, and, in those circumstances, I thought very differently and was convinced. Also the knowledge that Honda had committed also swayed me.

Q:
Will there be a clash o𒁏f interest between your Subaru and Honda commitments?

DR:
No, you have got to remember we have run sportscar championship programmes for a number of years and run projects with other car manufacturers in a range of things. So they 𒐪[Honda and Subaru] understand the situation very clearly. There is no conflict either-way. Things are very neutral on that front

Q:
What happens with your World Rally commitments? You've made significant progress and now🍬 you seem to be moving on?

DR:
You kno𒊎w that is the very same question I was asked 18 months ago, when I stepped back from Subaru to set up the WRC TV stuff and they [Subaru] went on to win a world title this year. I don't have any concerns about that. I think we have the right management teams in place and it is very well established. I have spent the last two years setting it up, and I'm not deserting it. I will be at Monte Carlo in January, and I think we are on the right track. It is looking good.

Q:
Do you know what tꩲo do to make BAR into a winning team?

DR:
I think that would be greatly presumptuous for me to walk in here the first day and say I have all the answers. Sure, I know what is required to make a win🍰ning team, but different categories of motorsport have their own particular requirements. However, it seems to me - from what Jacques told me and from what I've seen around the place - that, technically, it is a good group of people. Over the next few days, I will be spending time chatting to people, looking at things - I've got some presentations from various parts of the team - and I guess that most of January will be spent looking at things in more detail.

Q:
How much control do you have?

DR:
I didn't come into this with out a clear mandate of control, but my background is not on a drawing board as an engineer, and so I will have to rely on 𒐪the best people to do that side of the job.

Q:
Given the last 48 hours, how ca❀n you ensure the BAR dream doesn't disintegrate and that the team goes forward?🦂 How important are the drivers?

DR:
Jacques and Olivier are clearly two of the most key parts and components in the team and, to be successful, we need♐ happy drivers who feel that they have the support of the team and the right tools to do the job. And so I re🌺gard that as very, very important.

Q:
Can you win Jacques around?

DR:
Jacques is a professional. Jacques wants to win, I ꦍwant to win, Olivier wants to win and, in that field, we have one shared ambition.

Q:
David, will you be buying shares in the team?

DR:
That is a part of on-going negotiations with BAT for the long term. They are quite complex, as they involve Prodrive and, as you might understand, it's quite a complex issue. But, needless to say, these i✱ssues will be resolved in the next 90 days.

Q:
Why have you come back into F1?

DR:
Well, let's put this in perspective. This is not a 'me' issue. It's not that I woke up one day and said I wanted to do it this. If you🐈 look at where Prodrive is today, and the issues facing that business, [you will see that] it has grown to such a size - 1000 people working there in various aspects whether it's motorsport or the technology side - and the next step on motorsport side is that we clearly need an involvement in F1.

However, you can only 🍒do it in the right circumstances. We've seen F1 teams bring down some very talented people and some very large organisa🐭tions, and we were only going to get involved if the right circumstances arose. I saw them in this proposal.

Q:
Was this [a return to F1] the case before the BAR offer?
DR:
We [Prodrive] discussed a return to F1 regul♐arly. It was🐻 part of our strategic plan, and I'm sure I've shared with many of you that Prodrive would be back there one day. We visited it on a regular basis, and I have to tell you I have turned down three proposals in the last couple of years. So this wasn't the first opportunity.

Q:
Do you learn anything f𝄹rom your period at Benetto𝄹n?

DR:
There's an awful lot 🍌that I learnt from that, and in the subsequent years. And let's hope I can put it into practice!

Q:
How long is your agreement with BAT/BAR? - one ♊year? two years?

DR:
Well, actually it's longer than that. It's aไn evolving agreement in﷽tended to see out their [BAT's] involvement in the team.

Q:
What will happen after that? Will Prodrive take over ༺BAT's role in the team?

DR:
Well, clearly, Prodrive doesn't need to advertise on a F1 team. I think we will be looking for ꧅another partner in six years time whꦍen the tobacco ban comes into operation.

Q:
What are your expectations for 2002?

DR:
We have a solid team of people and, from that, we have to move forward quickly. We have the right finance, the right partners, the right drivers - we might still have a few hiccups as we go into this season until everything gels but, certainly by the end of the year, the excuses have got to sto꧅p.