Alpine officially names Brivio as F1 racing director
Alpine has confirmed that former Suzuki MotoGP team manager Davide Brivio will join its Formula 1 squad this year.
As first revealed by Motorsport.com, Brivio has chosen to call time on a lengthy career in motorcycle racing to make the switch to F1.
Brivio will become Alpine’s racing director, and will report directly to the French sportscar manufacturer’s CEO Laurent Rossi.
The Italian’s appointment comes as part of a management reshuffle at the renamed Alpine squad, following the surprise departure of team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
Alpine has not yet announced who will replace Abiteboul, but it is widely expected that executive director Marcin Budkowski will take the role.
Brivio’s move to Alpine has been engineered by Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who is pushing hard to reinvigorate the French car manufacturer’s many brands.
Fiat was title sponsor of the team from 2007 to 2010, when de Meo was the Italian car manufacturer’s chief marketing officer.
Speaking about his decision to move to F1 earlier this month, Brivio said that it had not been an easy call to make.
“A new professional challenge and opportunity suddenly came to me and in the end I decided to take it,” he 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 rejoined 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.”
Brivio most recently helped Suzuki win its first 500cc/MotoGP championship title in 20 years, having previously enjoyed a lengthy spell with Japanese bike manufacturer Yamaha.
As part of its rebranding Alpine will race with an all-new livery this year, and will have Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon on board.
Related video
New Williams owner wants to keep team's 'family feel'
AlphaTauri switch to new wind tunnel offers ‘big advantage’
Garcia, Eckes land 2023 NASCAR Truck rides with MHR
McAnally Hilgemann Racing will field a pair of fulltime entries in the NASCAR Truck Series next season with drivers Christian Eckes and Jake Garcia.
IndyCar to run hybrid units with 2.2s, not 2.4s, in 2024
The next-gen IndyCar engine formula, set for introduction in 2024, will now couple hybrid units with 2.2-liter engines rather than increasing capacity to 2.4 liters.
Maserati unveils challenger for its debut Formula E campaign
The Maserati MSG squad has unveiled the livery of its Tipo Folgore car it will race for the first time in Formula E next season.
F1 world champion Villeneuve in frame for Vanwall WEC seat
Formula 1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve is in the running for a seat with the Vanwall Le Mans Hypercar squad in next year’s World Endurance Championship.
How Tyrrell’s post-Stewart era descended into a fight to survive
Glory days for Tyrrell became increasingly infrequent after Jackie Stewart’s retirement. But in the latest instalment of his history of the team for Autosport's sister title GP Racing, MAURICE HAMILTON recalls how Ken Tyrrell’s plucky and defiantly small team stayed bold enough to innovate – springing a surprise with F1’s first six-wheeled car
How departing F1 boss Brawn views F1’s new rules - and the future
Multiple-title-winning designer and team boss Ross Brawn is finally leaving Formula 1 after nearly 50 years in motorsport. But he still has plenty of insights on what’s working and what comes next, as he revealed to Motorsport.com in a far-reaching exclusive interview in Abu Dhabi.
The key F1 management call Ferrari must make to avoid more defeat
OPINION: Mattia Binotto’s departure from Ferrari will naturally bring a range of changes across the Formula 1 team. But how the changes shape up and the impact they could have is set to be dictated by a key direction Ferrari’s top dogs will need to pick
The difference between Mercedes’ stumble and the fall of F1 giants
OPINION: Mercedes endured its worst season of the hybrid Formula 1 era, but was mercifully spared its first winless campaign in over a decade late on. It has owned up to the mistakes it made which led to its troubled W13. And while its task to return to title-challenging contention is not small, its 2022 season seems more like a blip than the beginning of a downward spiral.
The physical focus bringing out the best from Esteban Ocon
Esteban Ocon likes to point out he’s the first driver since Lewis Hamilton to emerge from a spell as Fernando Alonso’s teammate with a superior overall points record. While some may disagree, as LUKE SMITH discovered, the 2021 Hungarian GP winner reckons it’s not just luck which has made him France’s pre-eminent Formula 1 driver of the moment…
How Red Bull's dynamic leader Mateschitz shaped its F1 philosophy
The death of Dietrich Mateschitz last month has not only deprived Red Bull of its visionary founder, it has shorn Formula 1 of one of its most influential benefactors. Mateschitz himself was famously media-shy, preferring to let the brand do the talking on his behalf. And, while it’s now normal to speak of Red Bull F1 titles and champions made, Mateschitz never assumed it would be easy or even possible – as ANTHONY ROWLINSON discovered during this previously unpublished interview from 2006…
Can Mercedes break Formula 1's cycle of doom?
OPINION: Teams that have dominated for long periods throughout Formula 1's history often take years to get back to the top of the tree once they've slipped down. But it remains to be seen whether the same will happen to Mercedes after a challenging 2022 season
What hurt Perez most in his ill-fated fight for second in Abu Dhabi
Arguably the favourite in the battle to finish second-best in 2022's Formula 1 standings, Sergio Perez's two-stop strategy at Abu Dhabi couldn't take him ahead of Charles Leclerc when the music stopped - and several key factors ultimately precluded him from the much-coveted runner-up spot.