After nearly a decade at the helm, Alberto Puig is set to step down as team manager of Honda's factory MotoGP squad at the end of the 2027 season, transitioning into a key advisory role with the Japanese manufacturer. The 59-year-old Barcelona native, who has been a fixture in the paddock for four decades, will shift from leading the team on the ground to helping shape Honda's broader racing strategy from behind the scenes.

The announcement comes on the heels of news that Davide Brivio—currently team principal at Trackhouse and a former senior executive at Yamaha and Suzuki—will leave his post at the end of the year to join Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) in 2027. However, sources indicate that Brivio's role won't be a direct replacement for Puig as team manager. Instead, he's expected to focus on marketing and commercial activities, marking a strategic reshuffle within the organization.

Puig's legacy with Honda runs deep. Appointed team manager in 2018, he guided the squad to back-to-back triple crowns, cementing his reputation as a key architect of the team's success. His connection to the brand stretches back even further—both as a rider and after his retirement in 1997, following a severe crash at Le Mans in 1995 that left his left leg badly injured. Just months before that accident, Puig had celebrated his first premier-class victory in Jerez, then in the 500cc category.

In his new role as HRC advisor, Puig will continue to support management and riders across MotoGP and WorldSBK, while also bolstering Honda's youth development programs. "After almost a decade as team manager, Alberto will take up a key advisory role," Honda said in a statement. "We will continue to utilise his four decades of grand prix racing experience as he transitions to this new position, helping to assess the overall picture of Honda's two-wheeled activities."

For fans who've followed Puig's journey from rider to team leader, this move signals a new chapter—one where his deep knowledge of the sport will continue to influence Honda's path forward, even from a different seat in the garage.