Alpine has announced that former Suzuki MotoGP team manager Davide Brivio will join its Formula 1 squad this year.
As first revealed by Autosport, Brivio has chosen to call time on a lengthy career in motorcycle racing to make the switch to F1.
Brivio will become Alpine’s racing director, and will report directly to the sportscar manufacturer’s newly-appointed CEO Laurent Rossi.
The Italian’s new position comes as part of a management reshuffle at the renamed F1 squad following the surprise departure of team principal Cyril Abiteboul.
Alpine has not yet announced who will replace Abiteboul, but it is widely expected that executive director Marcin Budkowski will take the role.
Brivio’s move to Alpine has been engineered by Renault CEO Luca de Meo, who is pushing hard to reinvigorate the French car manufacturer’s many sub-brands.
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De Meo and Brivio got to know each other at the Yamaha MotoGP team, where Brivio was team manager from 2002 until 2010.
Italian car maker Fiat was title sponsor of the team from 2007 to 2010, when de Meo was the Italian car manufacturer’s chief marketing officer.
Speaking about his decision to move to F1 earlier this month, Brivio said that it had not been an easy call to make.
“A new professional challenge and opportunity suddenly came to me and in the end I decided to take it,” he said.
“It has been a difficult decision. The hardest part will be to leave this fabulous group of people, whom I started this project with when Suzuki rejoined the championship.
“And it’s hard to say goodbye also to all the people who have arrived over the years to create this great team.
“I feel sad from this point of view, but at the same time I feel a lot of motivation for this new challenge – which was the key when I had to decide between renewing my contract with Suzuki or starting a completely new experience.”
Brivio most recently helped Suzuki win its first MotoGP championship, having previously enjoyed a lengthy spell with Japanese bike manufacturer Yamaha.
As part of its rebranding Alpine will race with an all-new livery this year, with two-time world champion Fernando Alonso rejoining the Enstone-based outfit alongside Esteban Ocon.