How Trackhouse is preparing for the post-Brivio era

Davide Brivio’s departure from Trackhouse at the end of the season has prompted owner Justin Marks to launch a restructuring process that includes changes to its rider line-up, the appointment of Francesco Guidotti as team principal, and the consolidation of its title sponsor.

News of Brivio’s decision to move on for 2027 emerged during the French Grand Prix. According to sources within the American squad, reports linking the Italian to Honda surfaced just hours after he informed Marks of his intention to leave.

The void left by Brivio, whose new role at Honda Racing Corporation will reportedly place him closer to the business side than the racing operation, will be enormous and extremely difficult to fill. Few people in the paddock possess his depth of experience. Brivio has been involved in MotoGP for almost three decades, holding key positions at Yamaha and Suzuki before making a brief switch to Formula 1 with Alpine in 2021, where he served as racing director. He returned to MotoGP in 2024 with the mission of shaping Trackhouse’s long-term project.

Under Brivio’s leadership, the American outfit secured its first MotoGP victory in Australia in 2025 and has collected four podium finishes. It has also established itself as one of the championship’s strongest teams, capitalising on Aprilia’s recent progress. A strong start to this season has elevated Trackhouse to second place in the teams’ standings, behind only Aprilia’s factory operation.

Brivio’s reputation for bringing structure to organisations and finding creative solutions to complex challenges is well known throughout the paddock, making him a particularly difficult figure to replace.

After interviewing several candidates, Trackhouse appears set to appoint former KTM team manager Francesco Guidotti as his successor. Autosport understands that both parties are keen to finalise the agreement as soon as possible, although contracts had yet to be signed at the time of writing.

Guidotti is lined up to replace Honda-bound Brivio at Trackhouse

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / LAT Images / via Getty Images

It would not be surprising if Guidotti were to assume his duties before the end of the current campaign. Given Brivio’s commitment to Honda and the arrival of MotoGP’s new technical regulations, which will usher in a new generation of prototypes, his current position is becoming increasingly delicate due to the access he has to confidential information regarding Aprilia’s future machinery.

For that reason, the most logical outcome would be for Trackhouse to terminate Brivio’s contract as soon as an agreement with his replacement is completed.

Alongside the search for a new team leader, Brivio’s departure has also forced Marks to reassess the rider market as he looks to finalise the team’s line-up for next season.

Autosport understands that Bastianini’s expected arrival is partly driven by Aprilia’s preference

Ai Ogura’s move to Yamaha automatically creates a vacancy in the Trackhouse garage, a seat that is expected to be filled by Enea Bastianini, provided KTM honours its commitment to release the Italian rider. The contract signed between the two parties originally covered the 2025 and 2026 seasons, with an option for 2027 that could only be exercised by KTM.

Autosport understands that Bastianini’s expected arrival is partly driven by Aprilia’s preference. The Noale manufacturer had already identified him as a potential replacement for Jorge Martin before the possibility of signing Francesco Bagnaia emerged.

Assuming KTM grants Bastianini his release, attention then turns to who will partner the rider from Rimini, given several factors will influence that decision, and not all of them are sporting. If performance alone were the determining factor, Raul Fernandez’s renewal would likely already be signed.

Fernandez might be set to make way at Trackhouse with current Moto2 leader Gonzalez coming in

Photo by: Gold and Goose Photography / Getty Images

The Spaniard delivered Trackhouse’s first MotoGP victory and has accumulated more podium finishes than any other rider in the team’s history (three). He may well have added another at Mugello last Sunday had he not run wide at the opening braking zone, a misjudgement that forced him to recover from second-last position before eventually finishing eighth.

Despite those achievements, Autosport understands that Fernandez has yet to receive a contract offer from Trackhouse, a situation that does little to inspire confidence regarding his future. That uncertainty has led to speculation that the shoulder surgery Fernandez has postponed since the injury he sustained in Portugal last year may be playing a role in Marks’ recent discussions with Manuel Gonzalez, the current Moto2 championship leader.

Meanwhile, the team’s upward trajectory has not gone unnoticed by its commercial partners.

The most significant of those is SuperFile, which joined Trackhouse as title sponsor in Austin after a successful association with the organisation’s NASCAR programme. The company first appeared alongside Trackhouse at the Daytona 500 before celebrating victory with the team at Watkins Glen. SuperFile CEO Shane Valdez attended the subsequent MotoGP round at Jerez, where he was reportedly impressed both by what he saw on track and by the championship’s growth potential.

Autosport understands that SuperFile and Trackhouse are currently finalising the details of an agreement that would transform their relationship into a longer-term and more permanent partnership.

Trackhouse could be set for a new management structure, new rider line-up and new major sponsor in 2027

Photo by: Trackhouse Racing Team