FIA Decided: It`s Prodrive

ProDrive will be the 12th team to race in Formula 1, starting 2008. The official confirmation came through a news release from FIA. Even though Carlin Motorsport was considered favorite to competing in 2008 in F1, the FIA officials decided to give David Richard another chance, after his BAR experience.

Max Mosley, FIA boss, offered the media an explanation for Prodrive's win in the competition against Carlin and Paul Stoddart (ex-Minardi): "Prodrive has the best combination of financial backing, technical capability and motor sport experience and is well known to the FIA through its participation in the World Rally Championship. Also, Prodrive's chief executive, David Richards, has experience as a Formula One team principal."

David Richards is far from being a new comer in the F1 circuit. Prodrive was manager of the BAR team between 2002-2004, when they managed to squeeze a second place in the constructors standings right before Honda took over the team.

"This is only the beginning", said Richards. He continued: "We now have less than two years to build a team and put two competitive cars on the starting grid for the first race of the 2008 championship. The task is enormous and the expertise and experience of the established teams well recognized. However, Prodrive has more than 20 years of motorsport experience and all of us relish a challenge". The British boss concluded: "We are confident that the new regulations will not only allow Prodrive to be competitive on an affordable budget, but will also make Formula One more exciting".

As Prodive is concerned, it's worth mentioning that, ever since they started to compete in 1984, the team won over 200 international races and rallies, from which 6 World Rally Championships, 5 British Touring Car Championships and a GTS class win at Le Mans in 2003.