Davide Brivio: I don’t regret it

Davide Brivio did not hold the position of Alpine F1 race director for long: he joined the Renault factory team at the beginning of 2021 and at the end of last year he quit and returned to MotoGP.

It was precisely during his many years of work in motorsport that this Italian manager became famous: under his leadership, the Suzuki factory team notably won titles in both championship events in 2020, something this Japanese manufacturer had not achieved for almost twenty years.

But in Formula 1, Brivio’s role was not particularly striking: this job did not suit him, or he became one of the leaders of Alpine F1 at the wrong time, but rather it was all a combination. However, he has no regrets about this period in his career.

“I am very happy that I have been given the opportunity to work in Formula 1. If I hadn’t tried it, I would have missed it. Even though everything didn’t go the way I wanted,” Brivio said while participating in The Race podcast. “But it was a great opportunity to see the world of Formula 1 from the inside. And of course I met great people, now I have friends there. It was an interesting time, although I must admit that it was very difficult at times. And yet, looking back, I’m glad I had this experience. I’m willing to make another attempt, and maybe now that I have some experience it will be more successful…

When I came to Formula 1 I had some ideas, but no experience. It is likely that without this it will not be possible to achieve the necessary trust. I immediately became one of the managers, even though I had no experience in lower positions. I spent many years in MotoGP, playing different roles, and ultimately the experience I gained allowed me to become a team leader. I knew people there and gradually, step by step, I earned their trust. And in Formula 1 I was immediately given the position of manager, although I did not enjoy that much confidence there.”

But that’s not just the case. When Brivio joined Alpine F1 the team was going through a period of reform. Cyril Abiteboul, who led the team for quite some time, just lost his position and his responsibilities were somehow divided between Marcin Budkowski and Brivio. The Polish specialist left the team a year later and Brivio’s responsibilities expanded significantly. And then, halfway through the 2023 season, every other manager higher up than him lost his job.

All these jumps in personnel changes could not pass without leaving a trace, and the extremely unsuccessful start to the 2024 season for Alpine became one of its main consequences.

“I’m not sure, but I think gaining the trust of some of the management was more difficult than I expected,” Brivio continued. “I probably didn’t have enough experience for this.” But it was a lesson for me, and I’m glad I learned it, so I don’t regret it. Everything could have turned out differently, but it is clear that I have gained important experience.”

And now he’s back in the MotoGP paddock, leading the new American team Trackhouse. This in itself is an interesting project, as Trackhouse Racing is primarily a NASCAR team, but the owners decided to expand their business and made an attempt to achieve success in motorcycle racing. It is entirely possible that Davide Brivio will now be helped by the experience he has gained in Formula 1 over the past three years.