Honda snaps up new partner, Mac moves on.

Honda Racing has unveiled Snap-on Tools as its first commercial association of the 2006 season, having agreed a long-term deal with the company to become the 'official tool consultant' to the team.

A leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of solutions for professional tool users, Snap-on Incorporated will provide hardware and consultancy services to the team, with its logo featuring as part of the livery of the RA106 at selected races.

"We are delighted to welcome Snap-on Tools to our team at such an exciting time for us," Honda Racing CEO Nick Fry said, "The acquisition by Honda has given the entire team renewed momentum and we are optimistic that the 2006 season will be a successful one for ourselves and our partners.

"We are delighted to be associated with Snap-on who, in addition to the supply of tools, will provide a highly sophisticated consultancy and diagnostics service to our team and, in particular, to our brand new state-of-the-art wind tunnel, which will require the highly-specialised precision tooling for which Snap-on is renowned when it comes on stream later this season. We look forward to sharing many successes with Snap-on - both on and off the race track - in 2006 and beyond."

Snap-on's arrival leaves no room for previous Honda partner Mac Tools, which simultaneously revealed that it was 'moving on' to new relationships in British Superbikes, MotoGP and the World Rally Championship after three years in F1.

"We reviewed our marketing strategy within Formula One at the end of 2005, where we agreed that Mac Tools had realised all opportunities available to it," business unit director Adrian O'Nion explained, "Since 2003, the partnership between Mac Tools and the Honda F1 Racing team has been very successful and we have achieved all the marketing and business objectives which were set at the beginning of the programme.

"We have decided that Mac Tools will concentrate on developing its three existing partnerships, with Rizla Suzuki in the British Superbike Championship, Team Suzuki in MotoGP and the works BP-Ford World Rally team, while finalising the remaining details of several new ventures which will be announced shortly."