Reshuffle within the Honda Racing team

Next month, Honda Racing will undergo a restructuring within its organization, mainly at prestigious positions. It is the president of the Formula 1 team, Yasuhiro Wada, who will leave his role.

Wada, general manager of Honda Motor Sports Division since 2000, joined the F1 team in 2005, when the Japanese manufacturer was partnered with BAR.

His responsibilities increased when Honda bought the BAR team at the start of the 2006 season. He worked closely with Nick Fry, who had become the Chief Executive Officer since then. He is also the one credited with the creation of Super-Aguri.

However, from the beginning of April, Wada will leave his responsibilities in motorsport and will only serve as the general manager of public relations at Honda Motor Company in Japan. The Australian Grand Prix will certainly be his last race in his current role.

The reasons for this departure are not known, even though they come in a context of nervousness following a disastrous 2007 season. Moreover, all the efforts of the F1 team are now focused on Ross Brawn, the team principal, to ensure his arrival is as productive as possible.

A spokesman for the Honda Racing team stated: « SAN Wada has spent the last eight years with ‘Honda Performance Development’ in the United States, ‘Honda Racing Development’ in the United Kingdom, and ‘Honda Motor Sports Division’ in Tokyo, the headquarters. »

« In line with its philosophy, Honda promotes rotation within its various sectors, Keita Muramatsu will now be appointed as the General Manager of the Motorsports Division. »

Other changes will be made within the Japanese hierarchy, with, for example, Hiroshi Oshima being promoted to Chief Executive Officer in charge of motorsports and professional circuits.