09/03/2019
NEWS STORY
"With effect from 1 April, Masashi Yamamoto will take on the role of Honda F1 Managing Director," announced the Japanese manufacturer this morning, days ahead of the season opener in Melbourne.
"Yamamoto’s new role means that he will now focus solely on the Formula 1 operation," the official press release continued, "underlining just how important this project is to Honda, especially in its first year back supplying two teams on the grid.
"Taking over the role of General Manager of Motorsport Department will be Hiroshi Shimizu, currently President of Honda de Mexico S.A. de C.V." it concluded.
Since its return to F1 with McLaren in 2015, this is the first time Honda has appointed a dedicated F1 boss, and does indeed signal just how seriously the Japanese manufacturer is taking its relationship with its new partners.
Since 2015, Honda has undergone a number of restructures with Yusuke Hasegawa replacing Yasuhisa Arai in early 2016.
Given the title, Executive Chief Engineer and Head of F1 Project, Hasegawa's role was to oversee the development, manufacturing and management of the F1 project, while at the same time Yoshiyuki Matsumoto was appointed Senior Managing Officer and Director, Supervising Director of F1 Project and President, Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director. (Phew!).
At the end of 2017, the McLaren partnership now at an end and Honda looking ahead to its first season with Toro Rosso, Honda created the new position of F1 Technical Director, whose role would concentrate on directing the team at races and testing.
The role went to Toyoharu Tanabe, and with the position of Head of Formula 1 Project done away with, Former Executive Chief Engineer and Head of F1 Project, Yusuke Hasegawa, was now merely Executive Chief Engineer. (Again, Phew!)
Following a strong showing with both Red Bull and Toro Rosso in pre-season testing, with no major reliability issues, much is expected of Honda as it goes into its fifth season since its return.