Ducati’s MotoGP team manager, Livio Suppo will be replaced at the end of the 2009 season.
Ducati announced the departure of longtime Marlboro
Ducati Team MotoGP manager, Livio Suppo. Suppo has been the man at the helm of Ducati’s MotoGP project since the Desmosedici first rolled on the racetrack in 2003 and has been with the Italian marque for 11 years. His tenure will be remembered with a MotoGP World Championship in 2007 at the hands of Casey Stoner.
“Eleven years working with Ducati has been a dream, but sometimes in life you need new motivation. I must thank Ducati for all the opportunities they have me,” said Suppo.
“Livio has meant a great deal to Ducati and also to me personally," commented Claudio Domenicali, General Director of Ducati. “He has been a loyal and valuable colleague but above all a great friend. This is, however, also one of those moments in which we can rethink our organization in order to further improve, and this is what we have done in defining the 2010 team's direction.”
Suppo’s exit from Ducati is speculated as to make room for Valentino Rossi for the 2011 season. Suppo will wrap-up his duties this weekend in Valencia and has already accepted a position with HRC (Honda’s racing division) as a marketing director for MotoGP activities next year. He will be replaced at Ducati by the company’s existing test rider, Vittoriano Guareschi, who coincidentally is said to be a good pal of Rossi’s.
