As of yet, the hiring team has not spoken to the press. Brivio will be the new CEO at Alpine F1, which has undergone some profound management restructuring well beyond its name change.  

Brivio abandons both his team and the speciality after having won the Team Championship as well as the Drivers’ World Championship with Joan Mir in 2020 to make the leap to Formula 1.

Behind him, he leaves eight years with the Japanese squad, which he joined as this returned to the World Championship, and two decades in MotoGP. 

Commenting on his decision, the Italian chief has said leaving Suzuki and MotoGP was by no means an easy decision to make but he is motivated by the new challenges he will face in the four-wheel category: 

“A new professional challenge and opportunity suddenly came to me and in the end, I decided to take it,” Brivio said. “It has been a difficult decision. The hardest part will be to leave this fabulous group of people, whom I started this project with when Suzuki re-joined the Championship. And it’s hard to say goodbye also to all the people who have arrived over the years to create this great Team”.

“I feel sad from this point of view, but at the same time, I feel a lot of motivation for this new challenge – which was the key when I had to decide between renewing my contract with Suzuki or starting a completely new experience”. 

“Achieving a MotoGP title is something that will remain in the Suzuki history books and it will always have a special place in my life memories. I would like to deeply thank all the Suzuki management for their trust and confidence in me, which they had since the beginning.” 

“Joan becoming World Champion was a dream come true for me and for all the people who worked hard and accompanied me on this magnificent journey. I wish the best to Team Suzuki MotoGP, I hope that the results in the future will be better and better and I will always be a Suzuki fan. Thanks very much, Suzuki!”  

Suzuki, in shock

For his part, Shinichi Sahara, Suzuki’s project leader, was taken by surprise and shocked by the announcement, although he has declared he is already looking for a solution: 

“Sincerely, it was shocking news for us about Davide’s departure from Team Suzuki Ecstar. It feels like somebody took a part of me because I always discussed with him how to develop the team and the bikes, and we’ve worked together for a long time. Now we are trying to find the best way to cover for the ‘Davide loss’.” 

“Luckily in most cases, I have had quite a similar way of thinking to him, therefore it is not so difficult to keep the direction we should go as Team Suzuki Ecstar, I think. We would like to wish him the best of luck for the future.”

Two fellows at Yamaha: Brivio & Meo

The two executives met at Yamaha MotoGP, where Brivio was team manager from 2002 to 2010. The Italian manufacturer Fiat was Yamaha’s main sponsor for that years, when de Meo served as marketing director for the Italian company. 

Images of Davide Brivio: Team Suzuki ECSTAR.