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17.10.2018
The Team Managers: The boss, el jefe, the big cheese. The people in charge of all the personal in a team at and away from a race weekend. From personal rider managerial roles, to rider turned crew chief roles, to setting up their own race teams to extend their careers… there’s plenty of ways ex-riders end up in some of the most powerful positions in Grand Prix racing! Here’s just a few examples…
Current Role: Repsol Honda Team Manager since the start of 2018. Puig has a long standing relationship with Honda having ridden for them in his career but also having an instrumental hand in the running of Dorna’s Road to MotoGP™ championships, which started with the Movistar Cup. He continues to work in the Asia & British Talent Cups, the British Talent Cup & Junior Talent Team. Previously he had been Dani Pedrosa’s personal manager for much of the Spaniard’s career. One of the paddock’s busiest people, no doubt!
World Championship racing career: 1987-1997
Class(es): 250cc & 500cc
Wins/podiums: 4 podiums in 250cc, 5 podiums including one win in 500cc
Key career moments: 500cc win, Spanish GP in Jerez 1995
Current Role: Ducati MotoGP Team Manager since 2014. Having previously been Ducati WorldSBK team manager since the Carl Fogarty days, taking the likes of Foggy, Hodgson, Toseland, Bayliss to Superbike titles.
World Championship racing career: 1988-1992
Class(es): World Superbikes
Wins/podiums: 5 wins, 11 podiums
Key career moments: Won the first ever World Superbikes race in 1988 at Donington Park.
Current Role: Began setting up Lucio Cecchinello Racing in 1996, running a team for himself in the 250cc class. He turned full time LCR Team Manager in 2004 after hanging up his leathers at the end of the previous year. First they started in 250cc, then moved up to MotoGP™ in 2006 with Casey Stoner.
World Championship racing career: 1993 - 2003
Class(es): 125cc
Wins/podiums: 19 podiums including 7 wins.
Key career moments: 2003 Italian GP 125cc winner, a dream home win! Also his last podium/win.
Current Role: Team Manager of Angel Nieto Team (formerly Aspar Racing Team), since he set it up in 1993. Once a dominant force in the lightweight and intermediate categories, he entered the team in MotoGP™ for the 2010 season. To date, the team has four 125cc World Titles.
World Championship racing career: 1982 - 1997
Class(es): 50cc, 80cc, 125cc, 250cc
Wins/podiums: One podium 50cc, 34 podiums incl. 22 wins 80cc, 26 podiums incl. 15 wins 125cc
Key career moments: 4 times World Champion, all in a row: 80cc 1986-1988, also 125cc in 1988
Current Role: KTM Factory Racing Team Manager since they came into the class in 2017. Previously he was a mechanic and crew chief to the likes of Toni Elias, Alex Barros, John Hopkins, Dani Pedrosa and plenty others, overseeing two world titles.
World Championship racing career: 1984 - 1990
Class(es): 125cc
Wins/podiums: Nil
Key career moments: 10th overall in 1987 125cc championship
There’s a VERY limited number of people on earth who know what it’s like to ride a racing motorcycle, let alone at the speeds and limits that the current crop of MotoGP™ riders do! So who better to be an added pair of eyes on the circuit and the missing link between the rider, electronic data and the crew chief, than former Grand Prix racer? Even the best of the best need a helping hand sometimes! Marginal gains and all that…
Current Role: Valentino Rossi’s rider coach. Often seen on a scooter on service roads with a blue cap that has “COACH” on the top of it. Cadalora first started working with Rossi in February 2016 at a test in Phillip Island, after a successful few days, he became part of Rossi’s inner circle.
World Championship racing career: 1984 - 2000
Class(es): 125cc, 250cc, 500cc
Wins/podiums: 125cc 9 podiums incl. 4 wins, 250cc 39 podiums incl. 22 wins, 500cc 24 podiums incl. 8 wins
Key career moments: 1986 125cc World Champion, double 250cc World Champion in 1991 and 1992
Current Role: Since the Valencia test at the end of 2017, Fonsi has been using his technical experience from a long riding career across several different classes to help Danilo Petrucci and Jack Miller on circuit. His agreement with Pramac also continues into 2019.
World Championship racing career: 1997 - 2010
Class(es): 125cc, 250cc, Moto2™, WorldSBK, MotoGP™
Wins/podiums: 18 podiums incl. 5 wins 250cc career, 5 podiums in WorldSBK incl. one win.
Key career moments: 2nd in 2002 250cc World Championship, one off ride in MotoGP™ in the 2007 French GP finishing 11th. Won race two of WorldSBK 2008 round one in Qatar for Suzuki & finishing 7th overall.
There are two Safety Officers present in Race Direction panel, one representative from Dorna (the commercial rights holder of MotoGP™) and also the FIM (International Federation of Motorcycling). Their roles are keeping the riders as safe as possible throughout the year with regard to track conditions, technical regulations, and everything in between. Both roles are occupied by former World Champions, men who have raced when safety was a far smaller part of the equation in Grands Prix – they know what precautions should reasonably be taken to ensure as higher level of safety as possible from the riders’ point of view.
Current Role: Dorna representative Safety Advisor/Officer in Race Direction
World Championship racing career: 1990 - 2011
Class(es): 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, MotoGP™
Wins/podiums: 125cc 20 podiums incl. 8 wins, 250cc 37 podiums incl. 12 wins, 500cc 13 podiums incl. 2 wins, MotoGP™ 29 podiums incl. 7 wins.
Key career moments: 125cc World Champion in debut & 2nd year (1990 & 1991), 250cc World Champion in 1998. Took Ducati’s first MotoGP™ victory in 2003 at the Catalan GP
Current Role: FIM representative Safety Officer in Race Direction
World Championship racing career: 1976 - 1985
Class(es): 250cc, 350cc, 500cc
Wins/podiums: 250cc 7 podiums with 2 wins, 350cc 3 podiums, 500cc 11 podiums with 5 wins
Key career moments: 1982 500cc World Champion
The ultimate pundits! The voice of expertise in the commentary box and down in pitlane – ex-riders lend technical knowledge and first-hand racing experience to MotoGP™ broadcasts worldwide, giving fans a whole new perspective on the paddock!
Current Role: Commentator and pundit on Movistar, Spanish broadcaster of MotoGP™ alongside Ernest Riveras since 2014.
World Championship racing career: 1987 - 2001
Class(es): 80cc, 125cc, 250cc, 500cc
Wins/podiums: 80cc 6 podiums, 125cc 9 podiums incl. 5 wins, 250cc nil, 500cc 51 podiums incl. 15 wins
Key career moments: 1999 500cc World Champion – Spain’s first premier class champion
Current Role: Technical commentator for Sky Motori, Italian broadcaster of MotoGP™ since the start of the 2018 season. Often found in pit lane or in the studio set present at every race. He also has worked with Italian Moto2™ rider Federico Fuligni throughout the 2018 season as a rider coach!
World Championship racing career: 1999 - 2017
Class(es): 125cc, 250cc, Moto2™, MotoGP™
Wins/podiums: 125cc 7 podiums, 250cc 25 podiums incl. 1 win, Moto2™ 7 podiums with 3 wins, MotoGP™ one podium
Key career moments: First MotoGP™ podium 2009 Indianapolis, 2nd overall in 2003 125cc World Championship & 2x 3rd overall in 2006, 2007 250cc World Championships
Current Role: Brought in for the 2018 season, Simon is pit lane reporter for MotoGP™ during all sessions throughout a weekend and also reports on Moto2™ and Moto3™ during qualifying, warm ups and races. He also co-presents the After The Flag show, published on motogp.com every Monday post-GP.
World Championship racing career: 1989 - 2001
Class(es): 250cc, WorldSBK, 500cc
Wins/podiums: 250cc nil, 500cc 3 podiums with 1 win, WorldSBK 10 podiums
Key career moments: 1999 British GP 500cc victory, 5th overall 1997 World Superbikes Championship
