Leon Camier had his racing career on hold since a serious injury and the disappearance of several opportunities on the WSBK starting grid. But the Englishman has just bounced back, and not just a little, by presenting himself as the brand new team manager of the posh HRC. An original choice on the part of Honda.
Alvaro Bautista et Leon Haslam have a new boss, and he's an old acquaintance from the jousts on the track. Leon Camier indeed leaves his leather for the team director's shirt. He will take up his duties from the two days of trials planned for Jerez which will begin this week. camier replaces Jaume Colom, who oversaw the return of Honda in WorldSBK as a factory team.
The Briton was due to compete in 2020 with the Barni Racing Team, but he injured his shoulder during a winter test and was unable to take part in the first Australian round of the season, despite his participation in free practice. The confinement that followed did not allow camier to fully recover, which caused him to miss competition last year, but he will be back in the paddock for 2021 with his new role as Team Manager.
When discussing his new role, camier said : " I was a Honda rider for several seasons during my career and I am now very happy and proud to be back in the company for what is a major change in my professional and personal life. I thank Honda for the trust it has placed in me. The WorldSBK project is very important and the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade is absolutely magnificent. I am ready to work hard to achieve our goals. I have always done it as a driver and I will continue in the same way as team principal ».
Camier will be the second Leon at Honda
« Having raced in SBK for many years, I know the championship and its challenges very well, even if the current period further exacerbates the problems. But working alongside two very strong drivers like Alvaro and Leon, and a group of people as professional as the HRC team and HRC engineers, I am sure that we will be able to reach our full potential and fight for high level results. We now have two days of testing in Jerez, this will be my first opportunity to work with the team and I'm really looking forward to starting this new and exciting adventure ».
camier participated in 223 WorldSBK races and made his debut in the championship in 2009. Although he was unable to achieve a victory, he constantly showed his talent throughout his years of participation in the championship by fighting for podiums, to finally finish with nine podiums to his credit.
