The silly season, which doesn't usually begin until much later in the year, is already in full swing.

One of the silliest rumours has Michael Schumacher joining Red Bull, where he would be joined by MotoGP star Valentino Rossi.

Another has David Richards doing a 180-degree turn and re-joining BAR. The People - a British Sunday tabloid more used to exposing errant clergymen and drug-taking politicians - claims that Richards will be at the helm of the Brackley team when it returns to action at the Nurburgring for the European Grand Prix.

One Brackley 'source told the paper: This is fantastic news for the team and a sure sign they are sparing no effort to make BAR the most professional team on the grid.

"With Richards' wealth of experience we can look forward to a calming influence that will get the results we need to keep Button in the team."

Aside from the fact that any further reshuffles at Brackley would cost the team even further credibility, there remains the fact that Richards was booted out just moments after Honda purchased a 45% stake in the team. Should the Englishman return to the team that dumped him so publicly he too would lose vital credibility.

That said, one of the more interesting conspiracy theories at the height of the BAR fuel tank saga, had the team receiving a full season ban and Honda walking away from F1. At which point, according to the conspiracy theorists, Richards would return to BAT, with which he enjoys a good relationship, and make his own bid for the outfit.

Then again, in F1 we have learned that the sillier a story, the more likelihood of it being true.