Davide Guarneri (39) earned his name in dirtbike history courtesy of his long and versatile career at the highest level. With 2 GP wins, 6 MX of Nations participations, 1 ISDE world title and 1 E3 runner-up world title ‘Pota’ knows what’s needed to succeed at the highest level. Since this season Guarneri has a new role coordinating the Fantic Factory Racing teams in motocross. Davide was both insightful and personable in this candid conversation.
Since their comeback in 2020 Fantic has made a huge push in the world of motocross and enduro. With 5 EMX titles, 1 junior motocross world title and 9 world titles in enduro the Italian manufacturer clearly means business. But no matter how prominent Fantic bikes are in the Youth and Junior categories this season also marks their first serious entrance at the premier level of world motocross with Glenn Goldenhoff and Brian Bogers. Add in Fantic’s efforts in MX2, EMX250 and EMX125 and you understand why Davide Guarneri is a busy man.
How is it to be back in motocross after 7 years, what has caught your attention?
Davide Guarneri: “Although I went to enduro in 2016 I didn’t leave motocross completely. I attended a few GP’s every season and I kept in touch with the scene. Of course now I’m in the MXGP paddock in a different role than when I was here as a rider. As far as the level goes you have some fluctuations. Sometimes it will be more competitive, sometimes a bit less depending on riders who come into a class, riders who have left, injuries, guys who go to the US… So you shouldn’t compare between seasons. Right now we have three, four riders in MXGP that stand out. But you can’t compare with the era of Tony Cairoli in his prime, Clément Desalle or Jeffrey Herlings when he was younger. We simply have no way to find out how that would work out. However I think there are less riders able to fight for a podium, especially in MXGP. Luckily with Fantic we have two riders in Bogers and Coldenhoff who can challenge for a podium, it’s not easy but they can do it. So I see quite a big gap between the very best and the guys behind them.”
The paddock looks quite different from the time when you left MXGP as well.
Guarneri: “True, even when this is a challenge for Fantic there are many new manufacturers that came in a short time period: GasGas, Beta, Triumph and Ducati is on their way in too. From a tech point of view the GP level is incredibly high, even mid-pack or at the back there are no bad bikes anymore. They’re all really good. However it’s all down to details which are easier to get right for a factory team so it’s extremely rare to see privateers at the top now. Can you recall Clément Desalle winning GPs and finishing third overall in MX1 with a private team? I won the GP in Namur on a private bike, Christophe Pourcel won the MX2 world title with a privateer team. There are quite a lot of examples of this actually. So I would say that the material and the mindset are making a huge difference for the overall performance. Talent is not enough, that’s for sure. That’s the way things are developing and it’s normal to see things evolve over time. It also strikes me how much the logistics and presentation of the teams have stepped up. From all the new hospitalities to the fancy “fishbowl” trailers. This creates a bigger distance between the public and the riders. In my current position I understand that a trailer without awning can help a team to set up and break down quicker but as a fan of the sport it’s a pity that you don’t get to see the bikes and riders like you used to.”
The Fantic Racing department had a huge undertaking at the end of last season to start up three completely new factory teams in motocross. How did this go?
Guarneri: “For me to take on this new responsibility as motocross coordinator was quite natural. I was already involved as a test rider for the Fantic mx bikes and I had my experience from 12 years in the world championship. However it was not easy to do, because before we used to work with only one team Maddii Racing. Their main focus was on two-strokes in EMX250 and EMX125. In 2023 we stepped up to the XXF 250 (Edit: fourstroke) but Tom Guyon and Hakon Osterhagen both struggled with long-term injuries. On top of that Maddii had to look after a lot of riders so we decided to do things differently for 2024. With all three teams we had to start from scratch because they had been with different manufacturers before. So from spare parts to the knowledge of the mechanics, the bikes, logistics, dealing with sponsors… we had a lot on our plate! We’re also working with 8 different riders and you have to keep in mind that all of this is still quite new to Fantic because we haven’t been in the motocross world championship for 20 or 30 years like some of our competitors. Of course there are some things that are out of your control. With mud and bad weather conditions like we had, riders consume more parts which means new logistical challenges. Sometimes results can be a bit of a lottery and last but not least the current situation in the motorcycle market is complicated. So all in all, I think we’ve done a good job in our first year focused on MXGP and MX2. The investment that Fantic is making in the sport is very substantial, that can only be positive for the motocross scene.”
What do you think of the results in MXGP so far?
Guarneri: “First of all we had a great opportunity to start working with the Wilvo team of Louis Vosters. This has been huge, because they bring a lot of professionalism and knowledge about how to work with a manufacturer as a team. Results-wise we’re happy. Especially what we’ve seen from Brian Bogers has been really encouraging, considering he didn’t have the winter preparation you would normally do before an MXGP season. I would say he showed a level of consistency on the Fantic XXF 450 that he hasn’t had before in his career. We hope he can recover well from his shoulder injury in the next races. Glenn Coldenhoff also showed a good level of performance with top-5 speed and fighting for the podium at times. And he’s 6th overall in the world championship so I think this is saying a lot about his consistency. Also we’ve been inside the top-6, top-7 several times with both riders. That’s a great foundation to build on.”
The Fantic Factory MX2 team has two riders in MX2 with Kay Karssemakers and David Braceras and Alexis Fueri in EMX250. How do you look back on their fist half of the season?
Guarneri: “For sure we aimed for more but MX2 is a difficult class. It’s a category for young riders where most of them haven’t been able to show what they can do yet. So you judge them on their potential and all pieces of the puzzle need to be in place to perform. Unfortunately all three of our riders had to deal with injuries that kept them from the bike quite long at the beginning of the season. More than two months for each one of them actually. Braceras returned just in time before the first GP in Argentina. Karssemakers and Fueri got back on the bike even after that. In a case like this you’re always running trying to catch up. For Kay there was the transition back from EMX250 to MX2 and Alexis needed to get used to a new bike, so that also came into play. Our goal for both MXGP and MX2 was to have the riders inside the top-10. We need to understand where Kay and David can improve because in this phase of the championship it’s important that we can see their progress.”
Braceras has suffered his share of crashes and mistakes but Karssemakers had quite a lof of good starts actually.
Guarneri: “It’s hard to point to just one particular thing that’s holding them back. Of course missing critical preparation time in the winter affected their confidence. But together with the team now we have to make the best of the time in between races to make headway. We’re not asking overnight, miracle solutions to get better results but about creating momentum and moving forward.”
Although you started with three new riders in EMX125 the season has been very positive so far with Noel Zanocz leading the series and Simone Mancini currently third. What’s your take on this?
Guarneri: “It’s almost too positive. (smiles) By that I mean that it’s always an extra challenge if you have two riders in one team fighting for the title. We had many races with our guys both finishing in the top-3 and there are only two rounds where Fantic didn’t take the overall. Mancini had some bad luck at the start of the season but he’s been catching up and is only 7 points down on Gyan Doensen who’s second in the championship. So we’re really happy with the combination of Fantic and the SDM Corse team. Also important to note is how strong our riders start because all of three of them are tall and so heavy for EMX125. We were forced to pick riders without a deal for 2024 still they improved a lot, that’s very encouraging for everyone. The same goes for Douwe Van Mechgelen. He’s still young and he’s a sand specialist but he was close to the podium at the opening round in Riola Sardo. Fortunately he’s showing good progress on hard pack too. So I this he can start challenging for the top-5. To end the season with all three riders running at top-5 speed would be perfect.”
How important is it for Fantic Racing to have built this pyramid structure where they can bring a rider from EMX125 all the way to MXGP? It’s pretty unique because brands like Honda, Kawasaki or Triumph don’t have this?
Guarneri: “It’s a big commitment so it’s definitely not something that’s simple to put in place. However I think it’s great to give young riders the opportunity to grow with the Fantic brand, right to the very pinnacle of the sport. And it helps people to understand our ambitions. In my position it allows me to gain more experience, working with different riders and different teams. We can set up best practice strategies from what we learn and in this way I can also give better feedback to the factory. When it’s time to make decisions Fantic has more information to work with, which helps them to make a well-founded decision.”
I’d like to switch gears for a moment to talk about your own riding career. You’re an interesting rider in the way that a lot of people would underestimate what you pulled of over the years. On top of the achievements I mention in the introduction you won six Italian titles, won the European MX of Nations and you had 20 seasons at the world championship level. What’s the accomplishment that you cherish the most?
Guarneri: “Waw, it’s really hard to pick just one! The first one is my maiden MX2 moto win in Teutschenthal in 2005. I was riding for Yamaha Ricci Racing which was a factory team but personally I didn’t get any factory support. I was the third rider alongside Andrew McFarlane and Alessio Chiodi. Before that I had showed my speed here and there but in this race I showed that I can finish the job. The other one is my GP victory in Namur, Belgium. I was actually the last MX2 winner in Namur and this track was unlike anything else. Namur was the Monaco of the motocross world! Lastly my third memory is the ISDE victory in 2021 with the Italian team at home. Enduro is a different sport, one that you appreciate even more if you ride enduro yourself. What we experienced there was unforgettable with so many crazy people cheering us on. The attendance for the last motocross test was huge, almost like a Motocross of Nations! Also to live this at the end of my career meant a lot. I was 36 and at that moment you realize that this could be the last time to be at the top of the podium of such a huge event!”
Finally to win with the Italian team must have been a relief after so many MXoN participations without podiums.
Guarneri: “Absolutely, we had many good teams with Tony Cairoli, David Philippaerts and myself. Many times we would be in the top-3 on Saturday after the qualifying races to encounter bad luck on Sunday. That’s just how it is. I always loved racing in the Italian shirt for my country. To win like we did at the ISDE in Piemonte was really nice. For motocross fans it’s hard to imagine if you’ve never been to an enduro race but the fans of enduro are really passionate. They’re hardcore!”
Last year you were forced to quit due to a neck injury but you’re still riding quite a lot as a test rider I understand?
Guarneri: “Maybe not so often as you think but when they want my opinion I’ll get on the bike. So it’s not so many hours on the bike as before but still quite a lot for a retired rider. Of course it means that I have to stay in shape. You can’t just cruise around to test a bike. I’m not as fast as I used to be but I’m happy with where I’m at! I split the testing duties with Alex Salvini, who is doing more of the enduro test work and I’m doing more on the motocross side. Having said that I also work on the motocross version of the Fantic XE300 2T with electronic injection and electric start. I was already heavily involved with this bike from the start so it’s great fun to be a part of this project.”
It must be quite a thrill to see how well these new bike like the XE300 and XEF310 are being received?
Guarneri: “Yes, definitely. Especially in the case of the two-stroke bike with our in-house Minarelli engine and the electronic injection. Because technically it’s pretty challenging to get the package right. Many of our competitors like Sherco and Beta are still running the carburetor however Fantic decided that electronic injection is the future. It’s a very advanced bike with a lot of novelties that’s super nice to ride as an amateur rider. We continue to develop this platform in racing which is going well because Albin Norrbin already scored two podiums in E3 this season. This interaction between the racing department and the production is very exciting. It’s at the core of what we do with Fantic.”
What’s your favourite bike from the mx lineup?
Guarneri: “This is difficult! I’ll pick two. On one hand there’s the XX 250, because I’m a bit old school and I grew up with twostrokes. The feeling reminds me of my youth but it’s a super fun bike to ride. For competition the XXF 450 is at a very high level and it looks nice. It’s powerful, yet very rideable.”
This weekend the FIM Junior World Championship takes place in Holland. You’re speaking from experience because you won the 2002 125cc junior world title, what’s your take on this event?
Guarneri: “It’s a bit strange for me when I look back on it! Times were very different back then, I was there with my dad, a motorhome and a “homemade” bike. For sure the level was good with riders like Sebastien Pourcel, Jeremy Tarroux who was the favourite, Broc Hepler from the US, Max Nagl also, both Cairoli and Salvini were there. And some guys already had good support. But it was not a part of the GP influence sphere as it is now. There was a bit of hype but nowhere near the level the Junior World Championship enjoys now. Of course everybody wanted to do well, although that was just to see what we could do against the best guys in the world. It was not with the idea I need to win this to secure a factory deal! This is very different now. I never counted my world title in Austria by itself, I considered it to be the start of my professional career.”
Now the best 125cc riders are all involved with professional, factory supported teams whether it’s with you, Yamaha, KTM or GasGas. Getting back to your point earlier it’s already getting really difficult to compete at this level on your own.
Guarneri: “True. The positive thing is that these young riders are now riding on the same tracks as the GP guys, they learn to work in professional teams. The downside is that some riders create these illusions about themselves. They’re at the very beginning of everything. They’re still a long way from competing in MXGP although there’s much more media exposure than when I was racing on a 125cc. In my era it was super clear that this was a learning stage, a transition to show yourself and see how to improve as a rider. The focus is much more on winning now, which I understand, but many riders who have succeeded in MXGP didn’t get a bunch of titles as youth riders. I prefer this mindset where you’re carving out your own path and work on your craft rather than chasing short-term success.”
Good luck for the races this weekend.
Guarneri: “Thank you. My job is done, it will be down to them!”
Text: Tom Jacobs
Credit for all images, except the ones described below, is: “Fullspectrum Media”
For the photos “Guarneri” “Fueri” “MXGP_France-9086” use the credit “Davide Messora”
Credit “Fantic” for the “EnduroGP” celebration photo
