Honda's disappointing
Formula One form in recent months appears to be having an effect on the make-up of its technical team at Brackley, with the first casualties heading out the door on the eve of the 2008 season.
Team chairman Yasuhiro Wada will be the highest profile name to depart, having been reassigned to duties with the public relations division at Honda HQ in Japan.
Wada became a part of Honda's
F1 operation in 2005, after the final years of the British American Racing programme, following a spell in the USA, where he was head of Honda Performance Development and charged with the brand's entry to the Indy Racing League in 2003. Since then, he has established Honda Racing Development in the UK before finding himself promoted to the head of Honda's motorsports division in Tokyo, giving him access to the F1 programme.
Wada is expected to be replaced by Keita Muramatsu.
"With effect from 1 April 2008, Yasuhiro Wada will take over the position of general manager of the public relations division at Honda Motor Company Ltd," Honda F1 confirmed, "Wada-san has spent the past eight years with Honda Performance Development in the US, Honda Racing Development in the UK and Honda's Motor Sports Division at its Tokyo Headquarters. In keeping with the Honda Company philosophy, which encourages rotation within the various areas of the Honda business, Keita Muramatsu will now move to the position of general manager of the motor sports division."
Honda's performance last season was close to an embarrassment for the company, with the minnow
Super Aguri team - which, ironically, Wada sanctioned in an effort to Keep former BAR/Honda driver
Takuma Sato in the top flight - using a hand-me-down 2006-spec car to beat the works entries of
Jenson Button and
Rubens Barrichello. Although former
Ferrari man Ross Brawn has joined the team as technical director, pre-season testing suggests that 2008 may not be much better, although the threat from SAF1 may have receded given the team's financial state.
