Livio Suppo, whose departure from the post of MotoGP project director for Ducati was announced earlier today, has confirmed that he is to join Honda next season.

The Italian - who has been with Ducati since before its 2003 MotoGP debut and oversaw the factory's 2007 title success with Casey Stoner - will take up a senior marketing role.

“It's been a very good relationship for me; eleven years working with Ducati has been a dream, and I think together we have achieved something good,” the official MotoGP website reports Suppo as saying.

“I think sometimes in life you need new motivation. I must thank Ducati of course for all the opportunities they gave me, and also HRC for being interested in me. It's a new challenge, it won't be easy but we will do our best.

“I'll leave a piece of my heart in this company [Ducati]. But again, I think Honda is something difficult to resist. Next year I will be a kind of Marketing Director for the MotoGP activities [at Honda] and I hope to start on the right foot.”

Suppo joins an increasing list of people head-hunted by Honda for 2010. He will be replaced at Ducati by present factory test rider Vittoriano Guareschi and current marketing manager Alessandro Cicognani.