Benetton team chief Richards resigns from racing team

   Copyright c 1998 Nando Media
   Copyright c 1998 Reuters

LONDON (Oct 19, 1998 - 13:26 EDT) - Chief executive David Richards
unexpectedly resigned from the Benetton Formula One team on Monday after
just one year's service.

Rocco Benetton, previously commercial director, takes Richards's place,
Benetton said in a statement.

In a move which ends one of the most promising new ventures in Formula One
this season, the Anglo-Italian team have been left without a head of
operations as they prepare for the final race of the season in Japan on
November 1.

Richards, 46, only joined Benetton in September 1997 in succession to
flamboyant Italian Flavio Briatore, but has left long before he could
complete his three-year plan for the restoration of the team to their
former glories.

He was brought in with a brief to revive the team after two seasons in the
doldrums following their 1995 double success in winning both the drivers'
and constructors' titles with Michael Schumacher.

Richards, a trained accountant, made his name when as co- driver he
partnered Ari Vatanen of Finland to the 1981 world rally drivers'
championship.

He went on to form his own highly-successful motor racing company Prodrive
which ran the Subaru team in the world rally championship, winning the
manufacturers' title in 1995, 1996 and 1997 with Briton Colin McRae at the
wheel.

He also ran the Honda team successfully in the British touring car championship.

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