New team manager and technical director at Suzuki

Announced on the team's website are the identities of the new team manager and technical director for the Suzuki world rally championship project, which starts at Monte Carlo on 24th January.

Former journalist Akira Kawada, 47, has been managing various teams over the past few years, previously in the Asia Pacific series and later in FIA Production Car world championship, and takes a new post.

Shusuke Inagaki, 61, is a former chief engineer from Mitsubishi, and replaces Michele Nandan as the team's technical manager, who left the company on 31st December. In addition to advising on the design aspects of the SX4, Nandan's main responsibility was to set up the team's competition department at a new location in France.

With Nobuhiro "Monster" Tajima as the President of Suzuki Sport Co Ltd and Yutaka Awazuhara confirmed as the company's Managing Director, all the top positions in the team are now held by Japanese people.