De Ferran claims BAR-Honda role

BAR chief confident of recovery

Former Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran has been named as the new sporting director of struggling Formula One team BAR-Honda.

De Ferran, who retired from the Indy Racing League in 2003, will assist the team on grand prix weekends.

The appointment comes after a disappointing start to the season which has seen BAR fail to finish a race in three attempts.

"It is an enormously exciting challenge for me," said the 37-year-old.

"My interest in the sport always extended beyond driving and this opportunity is the best I could hope for.

"The talent and potential of BAR-Honda is obvious for all to see.

"So, not only is it a great honour for me to be invited to join, but during our conversations it became clear to me that I would have no problem fitting in."

To progress towards our final goal of winning the world championship we knew there was a piece of the jigsaw still missing BAR chief executive Nick Fry

The Brazilian's appointment will ease some of the pressure on technical director Geoff Willis and chief executive Nick Fry.

De Ferran, who had brief F1 testing experiences in the 1990s, will have the management of drivers Jenson Button and Takuma Sato in his brief.

"There is no substitute for racing experience and Gil needs little introduction," said Fry.

"He has a unique talent which combines a successful career at the wheel of a racing car with an analytical and methodical approach outside of the cockpit.

"BAR-Honda's second place in the 2004 championship was testimony to the team's strong operational structure and our pursuit of engineering excellence.

"However, to progress towards our goal of winning the world championship we knew there was a piece of the jigsaw still missing, which is hands-on experience of what it takes to win in single-seater racing at the highest level.

"The time is right for us to allow Geoff Willis to focus on technical leadership without the distractions of running the car trackside.

"Equally, my focus should be harnessing the power of our enhanced relationship with Honda and providing overall company leadership."