During his time in charge of the factory Ducati and Honda teams across the 2000s and 2010s, Livio Suppo witnessed both Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez capture MotoGP riders’ championships. Suppo was with Ducati from 2003 to 2009, a period during which the team evolved from occasional race winners to title contenders.
During his time in charge of the factory Ducati and Honda teams across the 2000s and 2010s, Livio Suppo witnessed both Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez capture MotoGP riders’ championships.
Suppo was with Ducati from 2003 to 2009, a period during which the team evolved from occasional race winners to title contenders. Stoner’s dominant 2007 campaign saw him finish 125 points clear of Dani Pedrosa, bringing Ducati their first-ever top-class championship.
After moving on from Ducati, Suppo joined Honda in 2010. He started as their marketing and communications director before taking over as team principal in 2013 —the same year Marquez entered MotoGP and began his run of titles.
By the time Suppo left Honda at the end of 2017, Marquez had already won four titles, with Jorge Lorenzo in 2015 being the only one to stop him during that stretch. During Suppo’s time in charge, Marquez picked up an impressive tally of wins as well—35 out of his first 90 races under Suppo’s leadership.
Stoner has said in the past that he sees some common ground between himself and Marquez, especially when it comes to reaction speed and front-end feel. Suppo, for his part, says that if he were putting together a dream team, Marquez would be the first name on his list.
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Suppo has often praised Marquez’s mental strength and determination, calling him the most complete rider he’s ever worked with. But when it comes to sheer natural talent, Suppo gives the edge to Stoner.
Speaking to Fanpage, Suppo explained: “Definitely Marc. Of all the riders I’ve worked with, he’s definitely the most complete.”
“Casey is at the same level of talent, if not better. But Marquez’s mentality, focus, attitude, character and hunger are unbeatable. It’s no coincidence that Casey retired at 27.”
Stoner’s retirement opened the door for Marquez to join Honda
Suppo isn’t the only one who rates Stoner’s natural speed so highly. Ducati team boss Davide Tardozzi has said the same, placing Stoner above not just Marquez, but everyone else he’s worked with in terms of raw pace.
The two riders never shared a starting grid. Stoner retired at the end of 2012, and Marquez took over his seat at Honda the following year. They almost overlapped when Honda considered placing Marquez in a satellite team for 2012.
Marquez stayed in Moto2 that season instead and went on to win the title. Plans to move him up earlier were scrapped after he spent more than four months out with diplopia, a double vision issue caused by a crash at Sepang in late 2011.
Category: General Sports
