Suzuki has made the decision to bring in Italian Livio Suppo as team manager before the start of the 2022 season, which kicks off next week with the Qatar Grand Prix .
The official announcement came this Wednesday morning, confirming the Japanese team the need to fill a position that had become vacant since Davide Brivio ‘s departure to Formula 1.
Suppo, 57, arrived at the MotoGP World Championship in 1999, where he became the leader of the Italian factory project, achieving his greatest success with the world championship won by Casey Stoner in 2007.
Two years after that, Suppo was signed by Honda as Director of Marketing and Communication, managing to convince the Australian to join the MotoGP project, with which he became champion again in 2011.
In 2013, Suppo was promoted to the position of Team Principal at Honda, where he remained until the end of 2017, when he was relieved by Spaniard Alberto Puig .
Since then, Suppo has stayed out of the MotoGP paddock, developing his professional career as a consultant for the Thok Ebikes bicycle brand, a position in which he remained involved until now.
Suppo’s name had been on the table of Suzuki executives for weeks, determined to fill a position that had been left unguarded last year, affecting harmony within the structure.
“It is a great challenge to be part of a historic manufacturer in MotoGP, which won the crown in 2020 in the year of its 100th anniversary. I also feel that it will be a great experience to start working with two very talented riders, such as Joan Mir and Alex Rins, both capable of fighting for the top in MotoGP”, explains Suppo on his return to the World Championship.
“The Sahara proposal came at the perfect time for me, I had been busy setting up my e-bike business but I was certainly missing the paddock and was ready to go back,” admits the Italian.
“Racing has been my life, for almost my entire career, and I will do my best to bring my experience to Suzuki. I know that they are a great team, but also a great group of people, so this could help a lot to achieve our goals soon.”
“MotoGP nowadays is getting more and more exciting, with many very fast riders and competitive bikes from all manufacturers. It is a difficult challenge for everyone involved, and where the small details can make the difference. I’m ready to get back in the game and get back to the top with Suzuki.”
After the unexpected departure of Davide Brivio to the Alpine Formula 1 team at the beginning of 2021, Sinichi Sahara , leader of the Suzuki project in MotoGP, made the decision to assume the responsibilities of the Italian, a formula that did not have the expected success.
“I am sure that Livio is very well prepared for the position, because he has a lot of experience and a great passion for winning. He understands how teams work and that the atmosphere is important when it comes to being consistently competitive throughout a season. Some of our team members already have experience working with him, and I personally have known him for a long time because he has been in the paddock for years,” Sahara explains in the note issued by the team.
Having made the decision that the team manager position should be restored, Sahara held talks with Brivio himself, hoping the Italian would leave Alpine and return to MotoGP, a possibility that remained open until last week.
Suzuki’s first alternative to fill in for Brivio was former RNF rider and team manager Wilco Zeelemberg , but the Dutchman remained in Yamaha’s satellite lineup.
After it was officially announced last Thursday that Brivio was going to continue in the sporting structure of the Alpine team, Sahara intensified talks with Suppo, who will finally be the one to become the team’s new Team Manager, forming part of the management team together with Sahara himself. and technical manager Ken Kawauchi .
One of the first tasks that the new Suzuki Team Manager will have to face is the decision on the future of his current pair of pilots, Joan Mir , 2020 world champion, and Alex Rins , who end their contract at the end of this season.
