Toby talks to... Simone Battistella, rider manager to the stars

On the latest edition of Toby Talks To, Toby Moody sits down for an in-depth chat with Simone Battistella, long-time rider manager to the likes of MotoGP legend Andrea Dovizioso and Superbike World Champion Alvaro Bautista. They discuss how Simone got into rider management before diving into some of the specifics of the job: How a contract is negotiated, how bonuses are structured, the setting up secret meetings, and even the influence of pushy parents. 

They also talk about ‘get out clauses’ in contracts, particularly in relation to Marc Marquez’s situation at Honda, with Simone giving his opinion on what the Spaniard should do next. 

There are also some great stories about managing ‘Dovi’, including ones about the clandestine meeting at the beginning of his MotoGP journey with Ducati, the inside story of their divorce, and the parties that followed significant moments in the Italian's career...

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