MotoGP’s silly season went into overdrive all last year, with Yamaha and Honda the only teams to keep the same rider line-up from the 2024 season to 2025.
Each of its eight rival teams, such as factory outfits Ducati, KTM, and other teams issued contracts for new riders. Aprilia Hot Blood and Satellite crew Trackhouse Racing, VR46, Gresini, LCR, Tech3 and Pramac followed. All but five of the 22 riders are on contracts until 2026.
Despite locking in one of their drivers on a two-year deal for the 2025 and 2026 seasons, one team principal admitted it was a ‘risk’ to take on their new recruit. An exit could be on the cards ahead of the start of pre-season testing at Sepang on January 31.
David Brivio has admitted that Trackhouse took a ‘risk’ in signing Ai Ogura
Trackhouse pulled off a coup a year ago when they challenged David Brivion to take charge of the outfit he was launching in. MotoGP After taking over the satellite, Aprilia machines ran the RNF in 2023. Brivio brings another surprise as he has signed on to race for Trackhouse in 2025.
While Ogura penned a two-year deal for Trackhouse, Brivio overlooked putting an American on the MotoGP grid with an American team. The 23-year-old will make his premier class debut after impressing the trackhouse on his way to Ogura by winning the Moto2 title last year.
Read more: Everything you need to know about Ai Ogura from height to career stats
Ogura was second in the Moto2 standings when he secured a MotoGP contract with Trackhouse. Yet, despite lifting the title by 40 points, Brivio admits there are still doubts about what Ogura can do with the MotoGP bike. In addition, Ogura should be surprised, he is worried that a factory may pay attention to him.
Brivio said Crash“Actually, we have no intention of developing riders for the factory team. But I have to say, we are fully aware of the risk, because at the moment, all the drivers want to be in the factory team.
“Whether it’s a good decision or not depends on the circumstances. And one of the challenges we want to take is to try to do well as an independent team when at least one rider has problems climbing or climbing. But we are very aware of this risk.”
“Probably no. If it’s good, we know that maybe at 27 someone will come and try to pick it up.” The challenge is to try to keep him here and keep him happy, and hopefully have a good bike to get good results and keep him here.
Ai Ogura’s Moto2 title gives Trackhouse hope for a strong start in MotoGP
Ogura produced a consistent season to seal the Moto2 title, while rivals such as Aaron Canet and Sergio Garcia offered flashes of brilliance but often struggled to string together results. The Japanese gem has finished outside the top five of the 19 races he has started.
Trackhouse got the first taste of what Ogura can offer on a MotoGP bike at the post-season Barcelona test in November. His next chance to ride their satellite Aprilia will come at Shakdown in late January before the first real pre-season test on February 5-7.
Read more: Each MotoGP team confirmed 2025 rider line-up and contract details
Brivio hopes to see Ogura on the RS-GP25 quickly at Seppang, also ahead of the Thai Grand Prix in Buriram to kick off the 2025 season. Ogura can also take a good feeling when he wins the Moto2 title in his first year riding the Boscoscuro chassis.
But while he can quickly adapt to the Aprilia bike, the trackhouse should see Ogura maintain his consistent ways. That wasn’t always the case in Moto2, as Ogura finished second in the standings in 2022, dropping to ninth in the standings in 2023 and failing to win a Grand Prix.
