Former manager Davide Brivio analyzes the structural problems of the Japanese manufacturers involved in MotoGP and the gear change of the European manufacturers.
Davide Brivio left the MotoGP paddock at the start of 2021 to move to Formula 1 with Alpine – Renault. A providential choice that of the Brianza manager, who opted for a contract and a top-level job before Suzuki’s farewell to the World Championship at the end of 2022. He will be remembered in history for having led Joan Mir to victory in the 2020 world title. the first of the MotoGP era for the Hamamatsu manufacturer.
A profound connoisseur of the premier class, in an interview with ‘Slick Magazine’ he analyzed with impeccable lucidity the decline of the Japanese manufacturers in the face of an undaunted advance of the European brands, Ducati above all, which after coming close to triumph with Andrea Dovizioso for three times he achieved his final goal in the short term. At the basis of success is a corporate philosophy that forces the Japanese giants to review their organizational and structural plans.
European teams one step ahead
Davide Brivio underlines how “European factories are more aggressive in their approach to racing, which is why they have established a new way of racing… Yamaha and Honda will also have to adapt“. MotoGP is taking a new direction that goes towards the modus laborandi of Formula 1. It is no coincidence that Aprilia has chosen Massimo Rivolaformer Ferrari F1 manager, to the direction of his team.
No stone can be left unturned and we must continually try to improve the products on the track as well as the standard ones. European brands”they are never satisfied, they continue to research, look for new ideas, experiment, to understand where even a tenth of a second can be reduced“. Honda and Yamaha, however, second David Briviohave remained anchored to more conservative organizational styles of the past, where the updates were tested and then installed with a certain calm, perhaps postponing the innovations to the following year.
Gone are the golden years of Alex Crivillè, Mick Doohan, Valentino Rossi and Marc Marquez where the driver’s talent was enough to win a World Championship. We need continuous innovation and technological research, investing in aerodynamics, the new MotoGP front, at least until the future regulation is re-discussed. The fundamental ingredient is to create synergy between the team on the track and the one in the factory. “They need to stop being two different groups. They have to build the bike together and together they have to make it work on the track… Honda continues to use the old method: they seem to be throwing away parts, copying what they see around them, to understand what effect it has – Brivio concluded –. But that’s not good“.
