In one other MotoGP season, Trackhouse choosing up Ai Ogura could nicely have been the most important shock of the foolish season.
And even in 2024 – a 12 months that featured the protracted Marc Marquez/Jorge Martin saga at Ducati and the meeting of an unlikely Maverick Vinales/Enea Bastianini line-up at Tech3 KTM – it nonetheless holds its personal as an actual eyebrow-raiser.
It’s the first time the most recent MotoGP staff has actually made a huge impact on the rider market – and a transfer it has not shied away from discussing, with veteran staff boss Davide Brivio fortunately going through as much as the media for a 20-minute grilling within the Crimson Bull Ring media centre.
Listed here are the potential pitfalls of Ogura’s signing that had been both put to Brivio or had been ones he introduced up himself – and why none of them swung the choice in one other rider’s favour.
REASON NOT TO #1: APRILIA’S PREFERENCE
Ogura, who has joined Trackhouse on a two-year deal, is the final addition to a four-rider Aprilia 2025 roster – during which solely one of many 4, Raul Fernandez, could have had prior race begins on the RS-GP going into the ’25 season opener in Thailand.
Aprilia’s full works line-up refresh – with Marco Bezzecchi and 2024 title contender Jorge Martin incoming – means there was an argument for Trackhouse to completely decide to continuity, however issues gave the impression to be trending in the direction of a break up with incumbent rider Miguel Oliveira for a lot of the season.
On the Crimson Bull Ring, with that break up official, Oliveira positioned it as a mutual resolution – however each he and Brivio indicated that it was Trackhouse and never Oliveira who ‘dedicated’ to the break up.
Brivio mentioned selecting between protecting Oliveira and letting go was “essentially the most tough half” of Trackhouse’s 2025 analysis.
“We now have nothing to complain [about] with Miguel, he’s after all an important rider, a really proficient rider, working arduous… after all he has a greater potential than what we’re doing [with him] now,” Brivio mentioned.
However he additionally revealed that Aprilia was keener to maintain Oliveira within the camp than could have appeared just a few months in the past.
“Ultimately this has been extra our selection than Aprilia’s selection, in case of Ai,” added Brivio.
“In case of [a two-year extension for] Raul, they had been completely satisfied. And in case of Ai – I imply, there isn’t any secret, Massimo [Rivola, Aprilia racing boss] was additionally completely satisfied about protecting Miguel.
“It was a type of, as an example, dilemma, no? As a result of having manufacturing facility groups which can be altering the riders, it could’ve been on one aspect perhaps resolution to maintain each Raul and Miguel, that they know the bike. Now we’ve solely Raul that is aware of the bike.
“It is no secret that Aprilia in all probability would’ve most well-liked to have Miguel for stability causes.”
REASON NOT TO #2: THE CLAMOUR FOR ROBERTS
Trackhouse’s id as an American outfit has been front-and-centre of its MotoGP efforts to this point, to the extent the place it ran a Stars-and-Stripes livery for a lot of the season till pivoting away from Silverstone onwards for an undisclosed motive.
However this has not prolonged to prioritising having a USA rider above all, as Trackhouse’s willingness to run a rookie didn’t translate to a seat for 27-year-old California native Joe Roberts
This season has been the strongest of Roberts’ seven within the intermediate class to this point. He’s a part of the title struggle regardless of having missed a race at Assen – and stays the highest-scoring rider of these on the Kalex chassis, in a season to this point largely dominated by Kalex’s rival producer Boscoscuro.
Roberts vs. Ogura
2024
Ogura: 2nd, 142 factors, 2 wins, 4 podiums
Roberts: third, 130 factors, 1 win, 4 podiums
Moto2 profession
Ogura: 64 begins, 5 wins, 15 podiums
Roberts: 122 begins, 2 wins, 8 podiums
Brivio confronted a number of questions on favouring Ogura over Roberts.
“In fact, we all the time mentioned, it could be good to have an American rider within the American staff,” he acknowledged.
“After which after all Joe Roberts was on our listing, on our shortlist. We thought-about him.
“We have been recurrently in touch additionally with John Hopkins, his supervisor. I had a gathering with him. Additionally Justin [Marks, team owner] had direct contact with them.
“We made some evaluations – extra, as an example, from a possible sports activities efficiency perspective. Then – proper or fallacious, I’ll inform you in a few years. However you must take a call.
“So we made our analysis, our evaluation, and we determined that Ai was a better option for our challenge. Whatever the passport.”
REASON NOT TO #3: MOTOGP INTEREST IN US RIDER
It was not only a query of fan response and Trackhouse’s id. As Brivio brazenly acknowledged, there was an implied curiosity from MotoGP promoter Dorna in having an American rider on the grid – its first full-timer from the USA because the late Nicky Hayden in 2015.
“As an instance we knew Dorna would’ve been completely satisfied if we’d have Joe Roberts,” mentioned Brivio.
“We knew – after all, all people is aware of – that an American rider is necessary for the championship.”
Brivio clarified that there was “not likely” a direct request from Dorna, and definitely not any monetary incentivising.
“Everyone knows that America is necessary [as a market]. However we did not get any strain or any particular request about that,” he mentioned.
Brivio did additionally emphasise that Ogura represented an necessary market himself – and Trackhouse’s transfer to snap up the Japanese rider could nicely have opened the door for a unique nation (and likewise an necessary market) to get a consultant onto the grid, with the LCR Honda seat that will’ve been earmarked for Ogura now doubtlessly going to Thailand’s Somkiat Chantra.
REASON NOT TO #4: THE ‘DANGER’ FOR A SATELLITE TEAM
Brivio doesn’t imagine there’s a mismatch in Trackhouse, a brand new staff nonetheless very a lot establishing itself in MotoGP, going for a rookie – as an alternative seeing it as a optimistic that the “full challenge” can develop into one thing collectively, with each Ogura and the still-quite-young Fernandez.
What he did admit, and did so unprompted, was that making signings for a satellite tv for pc staff carried an inherent threat.
“It isn’t simple to have a rookie in a staff,” mentioned Brivio.
“We all know that subsequent 12 months we’ve to spend one 12 months with out anticipating something, simply let him get pleasure from, let him make expertise, and then you definitely attempt to see in case you can choose up some flashes. Possibly one free apply ‘okay, wow’, one qualifying perhaps typically not so unhealthy. You attempt to perceive, to select up indicators by the best way.
“After which hopefully within the second and third 12 months you attempt to do one thing.
“In fact, there’s some hazard on this resolution, as an impartial staff.
“If he [Ogura] shall be good, perhaps in ’27 any person will attempt to steal him from us.
“Okay, we’ll attempt to make him completely satisfied. In fact we hope that it is a medium-term programme, however I do know the chance. We’ll attempt to create atmosphere round him, a very powerful factor is to proceed to have a aggressive bike, and to persuade each Raul and Ai to stick with us so long as attainable.
“Although it is a large problem as a result of we all know – when a manufacturing facility staff calls, usually they [the riders] reply.”
So why Ogura?
The entire aforementioned dangers can swing a call – however provided that a staff is not absolutely assured within the rider, or is not absolutely assured in its personal expertise analysis.
However Brivio, although smart sufficient to repeatedly admit he and his staff could possibly be fallacious right here, is “assured”. And he is earned the fitting to be.
Brivio’s headline MotoGP success is luring over Valentino Rossi to Yamaha, however that did not require any type of large scouting know-how.
Extra related is him grabbing Jorge Lorenzo for Yamaha even earlier than the Spaniard’s back-to-back 250cc titles – and extra related nonetheless is Brivio then going 3-for-3 with younger rider signings at Suzuki, making Maverick Vinales and Alex Rins into MotoGP stars and Joan Mir right into a premier-class champion.
“Whoever you select has by no means been in MotoGP. You haven’t any risk to verify – you will note later,” mentioned Brivio of selecting Ogura.
“We respect what Ai is doing in his championship. He received races, I really feel he has a type of resilience – perhaps [when] he has not begin, he is behind, he recovers, he by no means provides up.
“Then we predict his type can evolve in a solution to a MotoGP bike. So… few causes like this, and we thought he was a good selection.”
If Brivio has determined Ogura is his man, after the whole lot he is finished he can solely again himself – and he clearly did. And so did Trackhouse – in any case, why usher in Davide Brivio to run your staff in case you aren’t going to let him work his magic?
