Outgoing Honda boss Yasuhisa Arai says he fulfilled his task in F1

The 59-year-old will leave his role at the end of the month to be replaced Yusuke Hasegawa, who has experience working in F1 with the BAR-Honda project.

Honda's return to F1 has been plagued with problems since it rejoined McLaren last season and it ended up ninth in the constructors' championship.

"I was given a task and I was able to fulfil it," said Arai during F1 testing at Barcelona.

"I was put in place to do a specific role and I did the best I could.

"Whether or not I was able to achieve the results everyone was expecting is different.

"Because it is a big task, the results were difficult but personally because it was so difficult and it was the start of a large project, I am pleased to have been part of it."

Regarding the timing of the move, Arai explained that it is company policy at Honda that staff retire when they reach 60.

Honda also says it carries out organisational changes annually but brought this year's announcement forward so it could take place before the season started.

As a result, Arai is not frustrated that he is unable to finish the task.

"It's not for personal glory," said Arai. "It's a long continuance of the task.

"I fulfilled my part of the task and I fulfilled it in a way that I feel is the best I could do. I don't see it as reaching the end.

"I know Hasegawa-san is the best man to take over the project, I have no doubts in that."

Arai plans to carry out a handover with Hasegawa officially beginning his role on Tuesday 1 March.

"I need to catch up the situation," said Hasegawa. "I feel a huge responsibility and pressure but I also feel very excited.

"I have some experience in F1, but obviously the regulations are completely different so it's still a learning process."