FIRST LOOK: Miguel Oliveira, Raul Fernandez unveil Trackhouse Aprilia’s 2024 MotoGP livery

The new Trackhouse Aprilia team has unveiled its 2024 MotoGP livery during a Los Angelis launch attended by riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez, team owner Justin Marks and Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola.

The team will face its first MotoGP season with a patriotic red, white and blue livery featuring the stars and stripes.

The team has been formed out of the ashes of the CryptoDATA RNF team (2022-2023), itself a rebooted version of the race winning Petronas Yamaha Sepang Racing Team (2019-2021) which had taken over the Aspar Team MotoGP grid places (2010-2018).

While RNF founder Razlan Razali and CryptoDATA management are no longer part of the satellite Aprilia project, most staff from team manager Wilco Zeelenberg downwards appear to have been retained.

After a turbulent few years, staff and riders will be hoping Trackhouse brings stability to the project, which will be entering its second season as Aprilia’s satellite team with an unchanged line-up of five time KTM race winner Oliveira and 2021 rookie Moto2 star Raul Fernandez.

In-between three sets of injuries, Oliveira came close to a debut RS-GP podium on several occasions but was left with a best of fourth place. Fernandez saved his best for last with a career best fifth at the Valencia finale.

While both riders were on year-old machinery in 2023, Rivola confirmed that Trackhouse has secured 2024 factory bikes for Oliveira - meaning equal in spec to official Aprilia Racing riders Aleix Espargaro and Maverick Vinales

“I’m obviously super happy to be in the US launching this American team in MotoGP," Oliveira said. "It’s a great pleasure to be a part of the Trackhouse family. I can’t wait to get started with the new season, new colours, exciting colours, very racy and competitive ones. I can’t wait to get on the new bike during the test in a few days and get the season started.”

“Today you saw our livery for this year," Fernandez said. "For me it’s really nice and it’s a great opportunity to show the American flag. I think it’s great that America will have a MotoGP team, so for me it’s a huge pleasure to be here and show this flag. I really like the US and its people. The presentation was just amazing. To be here in Los Angeles is just a dream! I’m really happy and have a great feeling for this season. I think I’ll enjoy it a lot. See you on track!”

Trackhouse, best known for its NASCAR team, is owned by racing driver and entrepreneur Marks, who visited last year’s Austrian MotoGP to find out more about the sport ahead of a possible entry in 2025…

But the implosion of RNF meant the Trackhouse plans were suddenly fast tracked.

"This launch is an incredible moment," Marks said. "It’s the combination of an incredible amount of work that everybody at Trackhouse, MotoGP and Aprilia have put together in a very short period of time to make a little bit of magic happen. 

"That’s basically in the space of two or three months, we set up a MotoGP team, ready to compete and to be able to do something great on the racetrack. We’ve got a group of people that are all very, very talented and passionate about the season ahead of us.

"It’s also special, because we are an American team. We are a global brand, but an American company and to be able to celebrate the formation of this team and debut these incredible bikes in an iconic American city like Hollywood is truly a special, special thing. I look forward to the season.

"We don’t really know what to expect, I think as far as performance on the racetrack. All I know is that we’ve got great equipment with Aprilia, great people and very, very motivated, healthy and happy riders. 

"Typically, that equals speed in this type of sport, so it’s going to be a big learning experience for me and Trackhouse Racing that is used to working in NASCAR, but we’ve got a group of people that are very experienced in MotoGP, two great riders, a bunch of great mechanics and incredible partners in Aprilia.

"So, I really think the sky is the limit for this team.”

With no home riders to support in the premier-class, MotoGP will be hoping that an American team can help boost interest in the USA.

American riders dominated grand prix racing from Kenny Roberts in the late 1970s to Kevin Schwantz in 1993. However, the last American champion was the late Nicky Hayden in 2006 and most recent race win by Ben Spies in 2011.