Davide Brivio has offered his perspective on Valentino Rossi’s decision to join Yamaha before the 2004 MotoGP season, calling it a “crazy” move, and it’s drawing some comparisons to Jorge Martin’s upcoming switch to the same team.
Aprilia made a strong start to the 2026 campaign, with Marco Bezzecchi leading the early championship race just ahead of his teammate, Jorge Martin.
Bezzecchi has taken three wins from the opening four races and is starting to look like a real contender for his first title in the premier class.
Martin isn’t far off either, trailing by just 11 points and still very much in the mix according to bookmakers.
But changes are expected for Aprilia next year. Reports suggest that Martin will be replaced by Francesco Bagnaia as he prepares for a move to Yamaha, who have been struggling at the back of the grid.
Davide Brivio: Signing Valentino Rossi in 2004 was a crazy decision
Davide Brivio has opened up about the factors behind Valentino Rossi’s switch from Honda to Yamaha in 2004, calling it a move that sounded “crazy” at the time but one that ultimately changed the course of his career.
Speaking with Moto.it, Brivio, who was Yamaha’s team principal back then, pointed to the narrative around Honda’s dominance. Many felt it was more about the bike than the riders, and that played a big part in why Rossi made the switch.
“They were dominant, and maybe it was easy for some to think that with other riders, they would have won just as well,” Brivio said. “We, on the other hand, thought we needed a rider of that level.
“So our approach was: if you come to us, we can win; if you don’t come, it will be very difficult for us. Perhaps he heard what he wanted to hear, because one of the reasons for his choice was that everyone said he was only winning thanks to Honda.
“He wanted to prove the opposite, and that’s exactly what we were looking for. We had the same interest.”
Brivio then highlighted how big the decision was for The Doctor, adding, “It was a crazy decision at the time, if you like, on his part.
“To leave the best bike for a bike that, as a factory team, hadn’t even managed a single podium that year, just one in the wet with Barros at a satellite team. It was a very brave decision that ultimately added so much more value to his career and his successes.”
Jorge Martin’s Yamaha switch for 2027 brings back memories of Valentino Rossi’s bold move
Jorge Martin’s expected switch to Yamaha for the 2027 MotoGP season has drawn clear comparisons to Rossi’s earlier move to the same team.
Just four races into the 2026 campaign, Aprilia are holding down the top two spots in both the riders’ and teams’ standings. Trackhouse are sitting in second place, adding to what has been an impressive early run for the Noale-based outfit.
Yamaha finds itself at the opposite end of that spectrum, stuck at the bottom of the standings for a second consecutive year.
The new regulations coming in next year could give Yamaha a much-needed boost under a fresh set of rules. Even so, with Aprilia looking strong this year, it isn’t hard to see why some might question whether or not Martin made the right choice.
But if Yamaha can return closer to their old form under those new rules, people might end up seeing his decision in a very different light – one that pays off down the line.
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