Francesco Guidotti has been appointed as the new Team Manager for the Trackhouse MotoGP team, effective for the 2025 season. The former Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team manager will lead the American-owned team, replacing Davide Brivio, who departed the organization by mutual agreement in the summer of 2024.
Why Trackhouse Hired Francesco Guidotti
Trackhouse Racing, owned by Justin Marks, sought a leader with extensive experience in the MotoGP paddock to guide the team’s transition into a more competitive factory-supported entity. According to an official statement from MotoGP.com, the organization prioritized Guidotti’s track record in managing factory-level operations.
Guidotti previously spent three seasons as the team manager at Red Bull KTM, where he oversaw the development of the RC16 prototype. His move to Trackhouse is viewed as a strategic upgrade as the team continues to solidify its partnership with Aprilia. The team currently fields riders Raul Fernandez and Ai Ogura, the latter of whom will join the premier class in 2025.
How This Change Impacts the 2025 Grid
The appointment of Guidotti marks a significant shift in the management hierarchy for Trackhouse. While Davide Brivio was instrumental in the team’s initial setup and integration following the acquisition of RNF Racing’s assets, the team now requires a manager focused on long-term performance scaling.
As reported by Crash.net, the team aims to leverage Guidotti’s familiarity with European manufacturing processes to bridge the gap between their independent status and the factory Aprilia team. This management shift coincides with a broader technical restructuring across the MotoGP grid as manufacturers prepare for the 2027 technical regulation overhaul.
Comparison of Leadership Approaches
The transition from Brivio to Guidotti highlights a difference in organizational philosophy for the young team:
- Davide Brivio: Focused on team establishment, personnel recruitment, and stabilizing the transition from the dissolved RNF Racing structure.
- Francesco Guidotti: Brings a background in factory-team dynamics and direct development experience with KTM, signaling a shift toward performance-led optimization.
According to The Race, Guidotti’s arrival is part of a wider “revamp” intended to move the team further up the constructors’ standings. By bringing in a figure with recent factory experience, Trackhouse is positioning itself to extract more data and technical support from its Aprilia partnership.
What Happens Next for the Team
Guidotti will begin his tenure immediately, overseeing the transition period leading into the 2025 pre-season tests. The team’s immediate goal remains the development of the Aprilia RS-GP machinery. With Ai Ogura confirmed to partner Raul Fernandez, Guidotti will be tasked with managing a youthful rider lineup while coordinating closely with Aprilia’s technical staff.
The team has not disclosed the specific duration of Guidotti’s contract, though industry standard practice for team management roles in MotoGP typically spans two to three years to ensure continuity during development cycles.