Camier takes on management role with Honda WSBK
After a long layoff due to injury, veteran World Superbike rider Leon Camier will return to the WSBK paddock this year, but in a new role as Team HRC’s Team Manager.
In announcing the position on 18 January, Camier also confirmed his retirement from riding.
Ahead of the 2020 WSBK season, the Brit had signed with Barni Racing Team Ducati, but an injury in the pre-season test meant he failed to start a race, leading to his eventual departure from the team in July, his place taken by Marco Melandri.
Replacing Jaume Colom at Team HRC, Camier comes to the management role with some Honda history, having ridden the WSBK-spec CBR1000RR in 2018 and 2019 before the privateer operation became a full factory team under HRC control in 2020.
“I’ve been a Honda rider for several seasons during my career and I’m now very happy and proud to be back with the company for what is a major change in my professional and personal life,” Camier said.
“I thank Honda for the trust they have put in me - the WorldSBK project is very important and the new CBR1000RR-R Fireblade looks absolutely great. I’m prepared to work hard to achieve our goals; I always did so as a rider and I will continue in the same way as Team Manager.”
As a rider, Camier spent more than a decade in WSBK and believes that history and knowledge will help him as Team HRC’s Team Manager.
“Having raced in WSBK for many years, I know the championship and its challenges very well. In working alongside two very strong riders like Alvaro (Bautista) and Leon (Haslam), and such a professional group of people as Team HRC and the HRC engineers, I am confident we’ll be able to reach our full potential and fight for top results.”
Across eleven full seasons in WSBK, Camier rode a diverse array of machinery, from Aprilia, Suzuki and Yamaha, to MV Agusta, Honda and – very briefly – Ducati. While he never won a race, Camier achieved nine podiums and a best championship placing of seventh in 2011.