Valentino Rossi VR46 News
During the pre-race press conference for the 2013 MotoGP season finale at Valencia, Valentino Rossi announced some shocking news. The nine-time World Champion made it public that he was splitting with longtime crew chief Jeremy Burgess, who helped guide Rossi to 80 race wins and seven world titles in the premier class.
Rossi said the split was caused because the Italian needed “a new boost…some more motivation.” Later that day, Burgess spoke to MotoGP.com, saying he was “blindsided” by the announcement.
The question then became who would fill Burgess’ position. That answered arrived Monday. The man – Silvano Galbusera, who spent the 2012-2013 seasons as boss for Marco Melandri on the now-defunct BMW Motorrad GoldBet World Superbike team.
Yamaha Factory Racing announced that Galbusera will be Rossi’s new crew chief for the 2014 MotoGP season. The two worked together for the first time Monday during the first day of post-season MotoGP testing at Valencia. Rossi finished second fastest behind teammate and Sunday’s Valencia winner, Jorge Lorenzo.
Silvano Galbusera (Valentino Rossi’s Crew Chief) says: “I’d like to thank Yamaha and Valentino for this great opportunity to work close to such a multi titled, high level champion. I’m happy to be back in the Yamaha family and to have an opportunity in such a successful team that is always at the top.”
Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director) says: “It’s nice to welcome Silvano back to the Yamaha family. Having worked with him personally for ten years I have the utmost respect for his skill and technical expertise.
“For sure he will need some time to adjust to MotoGP but I have no doubt that he has the capability to successfully lead Valentino’s crew into and through the 2014 season. It has been a pleasure to work with Jeremy over this last season. On behalf of Yamaha I would like to say we are indebted to him for the huge number of successes and invaluable knowledge he has contributed to Yamaha.”
Silvano Galbusera Bio courtesy of Yamaha
Silvano began his career in motorcycle racing in 1979 with Gilera, spending 14 years working on both road racing in the 250cc world championship with riders such as Alessandro Gramigni and Paolo Casoli and also worked off road on African Rallies such as the Paris-Dakar with Michele Rinaldi. He then moved to Cagiva in 1994 and worked in the 500cc world championship with John Kocinski.
The following year saw Silvano arrive in the Yamaha family where he remained until 2011. During his time there he worked as both a Crew Chief and Technical Director in World Superbike and World Supersport, guiding riders including Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Cal Crutchlow and Ben Spies to multiple race wins and of course the 2009 World Superbike Championship title. For 2012 and 2013 Silvano worked with Italian Marco Melandri in BMW’s World Superbike team.
