WorldSBK: Leon Camier Switches to Honda for 2018

If you didn’t catch the hint in Leon Camier’s interview with us (for our A&R Pro subscribers), the British rider has switched teams for the 2018 World Superbike season, signing today with the Ten Kate Honda team for next season.

The move is a bold one for Camier, who has made a name for himself in the WorldSBK paddock by putting the MV Agusta F4 well beyond the ranks that many insiders expected it to achieve.

With Ten Kate needing similar helping developing the Honda CBR1000RR SP2, Camier’s presence in the garage next season is surely a welcomed sign for Big Red, but one has to wonder if its the best idea for Camier.

On the one hand, the MV Agusta platform is in desperate need for a refresh, which it won’t be getting anytime in the foreseeable future, as the Italian brand reconsiders its financial situation for its production motorcycles.

Meanwhile, Honda has become the place in WorldSBK where careers get put on the back-burner. With minimal support from Japan, this “factory” team is decisively less factory than many others on the superbike grid.

The grass is always greener though, and for Camier the switch to Honda means a new challenge, and perhaps a challenge with more potential over the next few years, if everything goes according to plan.

“We’re extremely happy to have Leon on board for the upcoming WorldSBK season,” said Marco Chini, Honda’s WorldSBK Operations Manager. “He’s a great talent and an extremely professional rider, so I’m sure it will be a pleasure to work with him.”

“We’re confident that his expertise will help us raise the performance of the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 to a whole new level so we’re looking forward to the new challenge.”

“Right now, however, there’s still a season to complete, so we are fully concentrated on the remaining rounds in order to improve our package and finish the year on a high note.”