Mir: "The name of the new team manager will count in my renewal by Suzuki"

November 12, 2021

Cheste.- The Hamamatsu brand has gone from celebrating the title, precisely with Joan Mir, to finishing the course in third position. Part of the argument that has been given to explain this regression revolves around the absence of the figure of a team manager, as a consequence of the unexpected departure of Davide Brivio , in the last days of December 2020, when his signing for Alpine.

The role of the Italian in the big S team was assumed by Shinichi Sahara , the until then Project Leader, who in a few months realized the mistake he had made in accepting such an important workload.

Halfway through the season, the Japanese already came to the conclusion that it was best to start a selection process for candidates to fill Brivio’s position. Among the names that have transpired are Wilco Zeelenberg , who will finally remain in his current team (SRT); that of Johan Stigefelt , which has nothing closed and shuffles several alternatives; that of Francesco Guidotti , who does not seem to want to leave Pramac and that of Livio Suppo , former Honda team manager who was previously Ducati, has even sounded.

In recent weeks, voices have grown that even saw a possible return of Brivio himself, who, supposedly, would not be entirely comfortable in Alpine. That possibility, however, was categorically ruled out this Friday by Sahara.

“Davide is my friend, and sometimes I talk to him on the phone, even during the grand prix. I want him to succeed in F1, and maybe in the future we will work together again in the same workshop. But it won’t be next year,” said the engineer.

Mir’s contract with Suzuki expires at the end of 2022, and given how quickly the market moves it would be no surprise that talks regarding his future start soon, if they haven’t already.

In that sense, the Mallorcan was asked to what extent the person hired can have a direct influence on his decision to prolong his relationship with Suzuki, and his answer was so direct that it left no room for doubt.

“Of course, the person who can come from team manager will count in my decision to renew. Of course, it is not the job of the pilots to decide on who has to be hired. I have given my opinion and I have said what I think”, replied Mir, aware of the relevance of the matter.

“Depending on who you target, you can ruin the harmony of the team. That’s why Sahara took it on, to minimize damage. It is clear that Davide’s departure, because of how it happened, hurt us. But the management that has been done has been exemplary”, concluded the #36 .

Detail of Joan Mir’s bike, Team Suzuki MotoGP

1 / 25

Photo by: Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images

Joan Mir, Team Suzuki MotoGP