David Richards CBE (born 3 June 1952) is the chairman of Prodrive and the former Team Principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One auto racing teams. June 3 is the 154th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (155th in leap years), with 211 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Prodrives logo Prodrive is an auto racing and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, United Kingdom. ... British American Racing is a Formula One constructor that competed in the sport from 1999 to 2005. ... Johnny Herbert driving for Benetton in 1995 Benetton Formula Ltd. ... Formula One - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, autosport or motorsport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ...

After training as an accountant, Richards began his motorsport career as a rally co-driver. He partnered Ari Vatanen in a Ford Escort RS1800 from 1979 until the end of 1981. This was a short, but very successful partnership and they won the World Rally Championship together in 1981, shortly after which, Richards retired from co-driving. It has been suggested that Accounting scholarship be merged into this article or section. ... Auto racing (also known as automobile racing or autosport) is a sport involving racing automobiles. ... A Subaru Impreza WRX competing in a rally special stage on gravel. ... Ari Vatanen (born April 27, 1952) is a Finnish rally driver turned politician and Member of the European Parliament. ... See also: Ford Escort (North American) The Ford Escort was a small family car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 through 2003. ... This page refers to the year 1979. ... Stephane Sarrazin driving a Subaru Impreza WRC on the Monte Carlo Rally Carlos Sainz driving a Toyota Corolla WRC on the Monte Carlo Rally The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In 1984 Richards co-founded Prodrive, an auto racing and automotive engineering group. In 1999 he sold 49% of Prodrive to Apax Partners. 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Engineering is the application of scientific and technical knowledge to solve human problems. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Apax Partners is a private equity and venture capital firm which operates in the United Kingdom, United States, Europe, and Israel. ...

Prodrive runs the Subaru entry in the World Rally Championship and has employed such drivers as Colin McRae, Carlos Sainz, Richard Burns, Juha Kankkunen, Tommi Makinen and Petter Solberg. Subaru (In katakana: スバル), a Japanese car company, is the automobile division of Fuji Heavy Industries Co. ... Colin McRae MBE (born in Lanark, Scotland, 5 August 1968) is, together with Sébastien Loeb, the second most successful World Rally Championship driver of all time (in the currency of individual rally wins), second only to Carlos Sainz. ... Carlos Sainz (born April 12, 1962 in Madrid, Spain) is a now retired rally driver who competed in the sport from 1980 to 2005. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Juha Kankkunen, born in Laukaa, Finland on April 2, 1959, made his name principally as a rally car driver. ... Tommi Mäkinen is a now retired Finnish rally driver, born in Puuppola, Finland near Jyväskylä in June 1964. ... Petter Solberg (born November 18, 1974 in Askim), from Spydeberg i Østfold, Norway, is a professional rally driver. ...

Richards acquired the television and commercial rights to the World Rally Championship in 2000 when he bought International Sportworld Communicators from Bernie Ecclestone. This article is about the year 2000. ... Bernard Charles Bernie Ecclestone (born October 28, 1930 in Ipswich, Suffolk, United Kingdom) is the president and CEO of Formula One Management and Formula One Administration, and owns a stake in Alpha Prema, the parent company of the Formula One Group of companies. ...

In 1997, when Flavio Briatore was fired as Director of the Benetton team, Richards replaced him. However, his year-long tenure was unsuccessful owing to a poor car and disagreements with the team-owning Benetton family. 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... // Early life and Benetton career Briatore was born in Verzuolo near Cuneo, Italy, in the Maritime Alps, from a family of elementary school teachers. ... Johnny Herbert driving for Benetton in 1995 Benetton Formula Ltd. ...

When the BAR team was restructuring after the departure of Craig Pollock in 2001, they brought in Prodrive to run the team with Richards as their Team Principal. Under his direction there was an improvement in BAR with the team taking second place in the 2004 Constructors Championship (although some credited the success to the development of earlier plans by Pollock). Richards also brought Jenson Button to the team and made him lead driver providing the majority of their championship points in 2004. However, when Honda increased its share of BAR in late 2004, Richards was replaced as Team Principal by Prodrive's Managing Director Nick Fry.^[1] Craig Pollock, born February 20, 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, is a businessman and manager of the Formula One driver Jacques Villeneuve. ... Jenson Alexander Lyons Button (born 19 January 1980) is an English Formula One driver currently racing for the Honda Racing F1 team. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nick Fry, British, (born 29 June 1956) is the Chief Executive officer and Team Principal of the Formula One constructor B·A·R Honda, a role he took over from Prodrive Automotive Technology chairman David Richards after Honda increased its share in the team in late 2004. ...

In the 2005 New Year Honours List Richards was awarded a CBE for his services to motorsport.^[2] 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals personal bravery, achievement or service to the United Kingdom. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by King George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions; in decreasing order of seniority, these are...

David Richards is also a major figure in the complex politics of the World Rally Championship and Formula One Management and is an advocate for measures to reduce the costs of car development as well as increasing safety. Stephane Sarrazin driving a Subaru Impreza WRC on the Monte Carlo Rally Carlos Sainz driving a Toyota Corolla WRC on the Monte Carlo Rally The World Rally Championship (WRC) is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. ... Organisation of commercial operations of Formula One Formula One Management, or FOM, is a corporate entity dealing with media relations and financial matters regarding Formula One. ...

His Prodrive company entered a bid to enter a Formula One team from 2008 and on April 28th, 2006, Prodrive were officially granted entry when the FIA announced the list of entrants to the 2008 Formula One World Championship^[3]. April 28 is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 247 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile, commonly referred to as the FIA, is a non-profit association established in 1904 to represent the interest of motoring organisations and motor car users. ... The 2008 Formula One season will be the 59th FIA Formula One World Championship season. ...

Footnotes

1. ^ Cropley item (in references)
2. ^ Recognition for motorsport guru (in references)
3. ^ 2008 FIA Formula One World Championship Entry List.

References

• Cropley, S (November 2004). "Out, but not down.". Autocar: 72-73.
• "Recognition for motorsport guru", BBC Sport, 31 December 2004. Retrieved on 2004-12-31.