The presentation of the crews chosen by the Italtrans team at the start of the upcoming Dakar was also the perfect opportunity to talk a bit about the MotoGP with an expert like Livio Suppo.
A historic team manager for Ducati and Honda, and also briefly for Suzuki, the rider from Piedmont returned to the paddock at the beginning of the year to take on the role of consultant for the Bergamo-based team in the Moto2.
He spoke to us about his adventure on the sidelines of the event also told us about his expectations for the upcoming Moto2 and MotoGP season.
Livio, have you taken stock of this first year of yours as a consultant for Italtrans?
"I'm very satisfied. It was a very difficult year at the beginning. Moreira has rightly taken his path towards growth, because the Moto2 is a very different category than the Moto3, and it's normal that even strong rookies need some time.
Foggia, on the other hand, had a stroke of genius in Austin and made everyone dream that he had found a solution. But then, unfortunately, he went back to struggling a lot and never got out of it. That's why, in mid season, we decided to start looking around.
We always hoped that things would change, but that didn't happen, so we decided to choose Huertas. Meanwhile, Diogo continued to grow, winning with fifty of the eighty-two points in the last five Grand Prix.
And he also won the rookie of the year title, despite having missed two races due to appendicitis surgery, and got on the podium in the last race, overtaking this year's world champion, Oura. I'd say that Diogo has all the qualities to start next year as one of the stars of the category, and this makes us proud."
Huertas also seems to have already gotten off on the right foot.
"During the two test days we had this week in Jerez, Adrian confirmed my feelings. For a rider with three years of experience on bikes more similar to the Moto2, like the Supersports, which use the same Pirelli tires, it's somehow easier than the other rookies.
He was clearly more comfortable on the bike in these tests, even if there are going to be very high-level Moto2 rookies next year, like David Alonso, who dominated the Moto3 World Championship, Collin Veijer who's very strong, and Dani Holgado.
It's clear that the others will learn and adapt better to the big bikes, but I'm convinced that the speed that Adrian demonstrated isn't only related to the fact that he was already used to the big bikes, but also to the fact that he has a great talent and a great desire to prove it."
Why did you decide to focus on a rider from the Supersport?
"In the MotoGP, there's a kind of snobbism towards it, which is partly justified by the fact that most of the riders who race in the Supersport or Superbike weren't able to break through in the MotoGP or in the Moto2 and went there. But it's completely different for Huertas. When he was young, he tried to do the Rookies Cup because his family couldn't afford to have him race.
He made his debut too early because he knew it was the only chance he had to get into the limelight. He fell a lot, he got hurt a lot, and he missed that train. The only way he could stay in racing with the finances he had at that time was to race in the Supersport 300.
He won it in his second year and then went to the Supersport, even though he had no budget, because Serafino Foti, Chaz Davis, and Daniele Casolari realized he had something special, signed a contract with him and, this year, he won the World Championship.
Hats off to whoever spotted him first. I just looked around and realized he was a bit different from the other riders coming from the Supersport."
What expectations do you have for next season?
"It's very early to set goals, because we've only done one day of testing with Diogo and two with Adrian. However, we're very satisfied with the development of the frame that Kalex has done.
All the riders who tried the 2025 one were very satisfied and, finally, there's the 3.5 front rim, which is what these tires were born for, and that's going to definitely help in corner entry, lowering times. Boscoscoscuro will have eight bikes on the track.
It's going to be a good battle, but I'm calm, because the team works very well. Our riders are fastm and we can't wait to start the championship. The Moto2 is a very difficult category, and most of the riders this year have had a lot of ups and downs, because it's tough even just in terms of psychological pressure.
There seems to be someone missing who's capable of being clearly stronger than everyone else but, in 2025, there are some young people coming up with good talent, like the ones I mentioned earlier, and I wouldn't be shocked to see some surprises."
Foggia, as you said, has struggled in the Moto2. Do you think the Moto3 is a more suitable category for him?
"On the fact that Dennis has talent for the Moto3, there's no doubt. He's one of the few riders to have won ten races in that category, but he has certainly failed, for some reason, to adapt his riding style to the Moto2.
We feel really bad because we invested two years in him. We believed in him and did everything to support him but, unfortunately, except in Austin, we couldn't get the results everyone expected.
I hope that, by returning to the Moto3, he can find a bike that's going to allow him to be among the protagonists again, also because he's going to a super titled team, and he'll have no excuses. He'll have everything to be able to show his talent."
Instead, how do you see Marc Marquez in the official Ducati team? Do you think he'll be able to dominate the season, as many expect?
"No. I don't think he'll be able to kill it the championship as he did, for example, in 2014, when he won the first ten races. He'll definitely be one of the protagonists, as he has already been this year, where he made a big difference compared to the other GP23s.
From there, to dominating the World Championship, won't be easy, with riders like Pecco who, despite not winning the title, still won eleven GPs. It'll be great for the fans, because I think that the fact that Ducati is going from eight to six bikes, losing two very strong riders like Martin and Bastianini, will shuffle the cards a bit, so the other teams might also aim for the podium.
What's certain is that, on paper, the first and second positions seem already decided. The official Ducati team could really dominate the season next year."
How do you imagine the coexistence of two champions like Marquez and Bagnaia?
"At the end of the day, partner or no partner, it matters little on the track. They're two very strong riders, and it's going to depend a lot on the balance they can manage within the team.
A rider like Marc is also very charismatic, so they'll have to be good in Ducati in not letting Pecco perceive that they're in love with Marc. Bagnaia, for his part, has won two World Championships in a row and lost it this year despite winning much more than the World Champion.
However, this means that he's very fast and, if he learns to make fewer mistakes, he's a very tough nut to crack. So, it won't be an easy team to manage, but definitely very strong."
World champion who'll be in Aprilia next year.
"We'll have to understand, because this year's Aprilia is difficult to judge since, from about halfway through the season on, they knew that Aleix Espargaró would retire and Vinales would leave. Then, Maverick has been having ups and downs for ten years.
That's just the way he is. Martin has shown that he's definitely of another depth, and Bezzecchi comes from an underwhelming year, but he had won races in 2023. So, as a fan, I hope they'll be able to do well because, the more riders they have who win, the more fun the championship becomes."
How do you see Honda instead?
"It's definitely in a very difficult situation, but they've made choices in the past that you pay for in the end. So, if you make your bed ..."
