David Richards, chief executive at Prodrive

David Richards doesn’t seem like the kind of man who would enjoy hurtling 70mph down a forest track in the pitch black. He is softly spoken, measured in response and has a solicitous manner. But despite attempting to steer towards a more conventional path in his younger years, adrenaline-filled sport has followed him throughout his career.

Now chief executive of Prodrive and chairman of newly acquired Aston Martin, Richards has a challenging year ahead. At a time when the automotive industry is struggling, he has the twin responsibility of maintaining interest in motor sport while pushing ahead with green technology in the mainstream automotive sector. A difficult balance to strike, but one that Richards believes is entirely possible.

’I don’t believe motor racing can help put low-carbon products into production because we’re not production engineers and that’s another skill set,’ he said. ’What we can do is make people aware of the benefits of these products and technologies. That to me is the role of motor sport: building awareness. It needs to be both appealing and relevant to wider society and we can certainly do that. If that means throwing out some sacred cows, so be it.’