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View Full Version : Ducati Confirms Suppo Leaving - Tardozzi Next?



rramseyr
11-05-2009, 10:36 AM
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Following speculation last night about Livio Suppo’s future with Ducati, this morning the factory have confirmed that the MotoGP project director will in fact be leaving. In another shock the rumor mill is predicting that Davide Tardozzi, World Superbike Team Manager will also be leaving in a huge management shakeup for Ducati racing.
The last race of the 2009 MotoGP season will also be the last race in Ducati Marlboro Team colours for Livio Suppo, Ducati’s MotoGP project manager. The Italian manager will leave Ducati to embark on a new professional adventure.
In Ducati since 1999, Suppo was involved in this challenging and ambitious project from the very beginning, contributing with his intuition, perseverance and enthusiasm to the world title victory of 2007 and to the many podiums and successes that have characterised the life of the Ducati Desmosedici from its debut in 2003 up until today.


“Livio has meant a great deal to Ducati and also to me personally; he has been a loyal and valuable colleague but above all a great friend,”

commented Claudio Domenicali, General Director of Ducati.


“We are very sorry that he has decided to leave the company but, in light of his correctness, professionalism and the great contribution he has made to the growth and success of the MotoGP project and the Ducati brand, we can only offer him our very best wishes as he takes on a new professional challenge. 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. The management of the Ducati Marlboro Team will be entrusted to, and reinforced by, two new managerial figures. Alessandro Cicognani, currently marketing manager for the Ducati Corse Division, will be responsible for the MotoGP project and alongside him, Vittoriano Guareschi, already the test rider for Ducati, will undertake the role of Team Manager, bringing to the squad a wealth of knowledge and experience that he has gained through being a professional rider and, most recently, a test rider."


Meanwhile....

MCN has learned that legendary Ducati World Superbike team boss Davide Tardozzi has resigned.

Tardozzi has played an influential role in the team’s success having masterminded multiple world championship success with Carl Fogarty, Troy Bayliss, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland.

It remains unclear what the 50 year old former WSB race winner will do now, but he has already been linked with the Ducati MotoGP team manager job following the news that current team manager Livio Suppo will leave the team.

MCN have tried to contact Tardozzi for a comment, but his phone is currently switched off.