Davide Brivio quits Yamaha

When Valentino Rossi opted to join Ducati in 2011 back in early July, it was widely expected that he would decimate his side of Yamaha’s factory’s garage by taking all of his crew with him.

That proved the case when Yamaha confirmed to MCN at the Motorland Aragon race in September that Rossi’s entire crew, led by influential Aussie Jerry Burgess, were leaving.

And on the eve of the final race of Rossi’s Yamaha career in Valencia this weekend, another expected departure has finally been confirmed.

Davide Brivio, a prominent figure within Yamaha for nearly 20 years, has been team manager of Rossi’s crew since 2008 but has opted to step down.

The Italian was influential in persuading Rossi to join Yamaha at the end of 2003 and it is understood he will undertake a personal manager role with the nine-times world champion.

Yamaha has also confirmed that Massimo Meregalli will be re-united with Texan Ben Spies in 2011. Meregalli ran Yamaha’s World Superbike squad when Spies won a record-breaking 14 races in 2009 to become the first rookie ever to lift the crown.

Meregalli has been appointed Team Director and will work closely with Team Manager Wilco Zeelenberg, who has overseen Jorge Lorenzo’s maiden MotoGP crown in 2010.

Taking Meregalli’s place at Yamaha’s WSB squad will be Andrea Dosoli, current boss of the Forward Racing Moto2 team and ex-Hayate MotoGP chief.