DANI PEDROSA´S TEAM
Team Manager: ALBERTO PUIG
Chief Mechanic: MIKE LEITNER
Telemetry Engineer: JOSÉ MANUEL ALLINDE
Mechanics: FABRIZZIO BRUTTI - JORDI PRADES - DINIS PAZZAGLINI
Assistant: MATTEO GNESI
ALBERTO PUIG. Team Manager
Date and place of birth: 16/01/1967, Barcelona (Spain)
Personal Biography
Alberto Puig is one of the most respected characters in the World Championship paddock thanks to his career, his character and his legacy. A descendant of two families who live and breathe for motorsport, Puig began his career in trial but it was in road racing where his talent finally flourished. His sole 500cc victory at Jerez in 1995 ahead of the invincible Mick Doohan is one of the most memorable moments in Spanish motorcycling history, but a series of injuries and countless operations brought an early and unfair end to his career, which started and ended in France with his debut appearance in 1987 followed several years later by a horrific crash at Le Mans that destroyed his leg.
After his retirement as a professional racer Alberto Puig continued his affair with motorcycles by joining up with Telefónica MoviStar to start the MoviStar Activa Cup in 1999. The aim of the innovative promotional series was to discover, train and promote young talent and, in 2000, Puig selected a team to contest the 125cc Spanish Championship with Joan Olivé, Raúl Jara and Dani Pedrosa. Thanks to Alberto’s experience and the hard work of a highly skilled technical staff, the project was a huge success. Olivé became the youngest 125cc Spanish Champion in history, Raúl Jara finished second and Pedrosa fourth. In 2001, the Telefónica MoviStar Junior Team stepped up to the 125cc World Championship with Toni Elías, Dani Pedrosa and Joan Olivé and ended the season as the best private team in the series.
Elías fought for the title until the end of the season, winning the award for Best Privateer, whilst Pedrosa was crowned Rookie of the Year after taking two podium finishes at just 15 years of age. In 2002, Pedrosa finished third in the 125 series with three victories and nine podiums and was crowned World Champion one year later. The team also signed Sebastián Porto to contest the 250cc series and finished eighth in the championship. Last year Alberto Puig was once again a key character behind Dani Pedrosa’s second title – this time in 250cc.
Hobbies: motocross and cycling.
MIKE LEITNER. Chief Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 28/09/1962, Bad Ischl (Austria)
Career background:
1985-1990: 125cc rider
1994-1997: Mechanic for Ralf Waldmann (Honda 250)
1998: Mechanic for Stefano Perugini (Honda 250)
1999-2000: Mechanic for Ralf Waldmann (Aprilia 250)
2001: Mechanic for Jeremy McWilliams (Aprilia 250)
2002-2003: Öhlins (Suspension technician)
2004: Chief Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa (Honda 250)
Hobbies: skiing, cycling, family.
JOSÉ MANUEL ALLENDE. Telemetry Engineer
Date and place of birth: 08/01/1972, Tortosa (Tarragona, Spain)
Career background:
1998-1999: European Championship with Monlau (Honda 250)
2000-2002: World Championship with Petronas (Yamaha 250)
2003: World Championship with BQR (Honda 250)
2004: World Championship with Telefónica MoviStar Honda-Dani Pedrosa (Honda 250)
Hobbies: family and football
FABRIZIO BRUTTI. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 20/06/1978, Granollers (Barcelona, Spain)
Career background:
2000: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa in Spanish Championship (Honda 125cc)
2001: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa in World Championship (Honda 125cc)
2002: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa in World Championship (Honda 125cc)
2003: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa in World Championship (Honda 125cc – World Champion)
2004: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa in World Championship (Honda 250cc – World Champion)
Hobbies: motocross and mountain bike
JORDI PRADES. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 28/10/1958, Barcelona
Career background:
1986: Mechanic for Torrontegui (JJ Cobas 80cc)
1987: Mechanic for Alberto Puig (JJ Cobas 250cc)
1989: Mechanic for Àlex Crivillé (JJ Cobas 125cc – World Champion)
1990: Mechanic for Àlex Crivillé (Yamaha Agostini 250cc)
1991: Mechanic for Àlex Crivillé (JJ Cobas 250cc)
1994: Mechanic for Maurel (Honda 250cc)
1995: Mechanic for D’Antin (Honda 250cc)
1996-2003: Honda Pons 500cc (Checa, Puig, Kocinski, Borja, Barros) and Honda Pons MotoGP (Ukawa)
2004: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa (Honda 250cc – World Champion)
Hobbies: photography and modelling
DINIS PAZZAGLINI. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 05/11/1975, Rimini (Italy)
Career background:
1997-1998: Mechanic for Alex Barros (Honda 500cc)
1999: Mechanic for Loris Capirossi (Honda 250cc)
2000: Mechanic for Daijiro Kato (Honda 250cc)
2001: Mechanic for Daijiro Kato (Honda 250cc – World Champion)
2002: Mechanic for Daijiro Kato (Honda 500cc)
2003: Mechanic for Daijiro Kato (Honda MotoGP)
2004: Mechanic for Dani Pedrosa (Honda 250cc)
Hobbies: cycling
MATTEO GNESI. Assistant
Date and place of birth: 31/01/1984, Rimini (Italy)
Career background:
2003: Italian and European Championship (Honda 250cc)
2004: Dani Pedrosa (Honda 250cc)
Hobbies: motorcycles and cycling.
HIROSHI AOYAMA’S TEAM
Team Manager: ALBERTO PUIG
Chief Mechanic: GILLES BIGOT
Telemetry Engineer: LUCA MERLONI
Mechanics: TIZIANO VERNIANI - RIANDOJI ISHIKAWA - MICHELE TAVOLAZZI
Assistant: GIOVANNI ROMAGNOLI
GILLES BIGOT. Chief Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 26/02/1957, Cuisy en Bray (France)
Career background:
1979-80: 125cc rider
1986: Mechanic for Team Scrab (Yamaha TZ 250)
1987: Mechanic for B. Bonhuil (Honda RS 250)
1989-1992: Mechanic for Carlos Cardús (Honda 250)
1993: Chief Mechanic for Alberto Puig (Honda 250)
1994-2001: Chief Mechanic for Àlex Crivillé (HRC 500)
2002: Chief Mechanic for test rider Sylvain Guintoli (Yamaha Tech 3)
2003: Chief Mechanic for Alex Barros (Yamaha Gauloises)
2004: Chief Mechanic for Norick Abe (Yamaha Gauloises)
Hobbies: cycling, athletics, skiing.
LUCA MERLONI. Telemetry Engineer
Date and place of birth: 26/11/1980, Forli (Italy)
Career background:
2001: Telemetry Engineer for Bosini Fontana Racing Team (Aprilia 125)
2002-04: Telemetry Engineer for Roberto Rolfo (Honda 250)
Hobbies: motocross.
TIZIANO VERNIANI. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 15/05/1974, Florence (Italy)
Career background:
1993-94: mechanic in Italian Motocross Championship (125cc)
1995: mechanic in Italian Sport Production Championship (Honda NSR 125)
1996: mechanic in el Italian SuperSport Championship (Ducati 748)
1999: mechanic in Italian and European Championship with Team Italia and in four 250cc GP’s with Battaini Racing.
2000-01: mechanic for Troy Corser in WSBK.
2002: mechanic for Noriyuki Haga in WSBK.
2003: mechanic for Noriyuki Haga in MotoGP.
2004: mechanic for MS Aprilia in MotoGP with Shane Byrne, Michel Fabrizio and Garry McCoy.
Hobbies: DIY and cycling.
RIANDOJI ISHIKAWA. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 11/05/1960, Japan
Career background:
1981-89: mechanic in Japanese Championship (250cc)
1990-95: mechanic in Japanese Championship (Yamaha 250cc)
1997: mechanic in Japanese Championship (Honda 250cc)
1998: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Suzuki RGV 250)
1999: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Honda RS 250)
2000-01: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Honda TSR 500 V2)
2002: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Honda RS 250)
2003: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Honda RS 250)
2004: mechanic for Arie Molinaar Racing (Honda RSW 250)
Hobbies: motorcycles
MICHELE TAVOLAZZI. Mechanic
Date and place of birth: 22/09/1966 en Italy
Career background:
1990: Team Greco, 250cc World Championship with Carlos Lavado (Aprilia)
1991: Team LMC with Stefano Pennese (Aprilia)
1992: Gilera, 250cc World Championship with Carlos Lavado
1993: Gilera engine development with Harald Bartol. World Championship with Casoli.
1994: Yamaha 125 engine development with Bartol.
1995: Italian Championship and CEV with Fausto Ricci (Yamaha)
1996: Team Venemoto, 250cc World Championship (Yamaha)
1997: Yamaha Kurz, 125cc World Championship with Youichi Ui.
2000: Toni Villa Racing, 250cc World Championship with Gimbert (Honda)
2002-03: Racing Service, 125cc World Championship with Gabriele Debbia (Honda)
2004: Telefónica MoviStar Honda 250, mechanic for Aoyama