Trackhouse explain why they opted against an American MotoGP rider

Trackhouse’s decision not to recruit an American rider for their MotoGP team has so far been inspired.

When well-known NASCAR franchise Trackhouse announced their takeover of Aprilia’s satellite team last year, it seemed the perfect opportunity to bring an American rider into MotoGP.

Moto2 talent Joe Roberts appeared in pole position for the chance - but Trackhouse opted against him.

Instead, they promoted Japan’s Ai Ogura from Moto2 where he won the championship.

The rookie has already shone, finishing P5 in his debut grand prix in the premier class and out-pacing teammate Raul Fernandez.

Trackhouse opted against a US rider

Team owner Justin Marks explained why they didn’t go for an American.

“There are two lines of thought,” he told CNN.

“One is, you know, do we lean so far into the American idea of our team, do we just stack it with Americans and make it that above everything else?

“Or is the MotoGP Trackhouse team really the international growth vector for the Trackhouse brand?

“Ultimately what we landed on, while we want to lean into the fact that we’re an American team and celebrate that, this truly is the function of the company that expands globally and internationally.”

Marks added: “We wanted to bring in somebody that we could build, that could grow with the team and that we could be with for a long time.

“So, when we were looking at the rookies, you know, there was a lot of opportunity in Moto2, there’s just so much talent, there’s not really an outlier that’s like the one guy.”

Ogura is ninth in the MotoGP standings after four rounds, notably better-placed than Pedro Acosta, Brad Binder, Jack Miller or Alex Rins.

Hiring him was a gamble that has paid off so far, Trackhouse team boss Davide Brivio admitted.

“You kind of make a bet, you know, because you choose a guy that is in Moto2, there’s no chance to test in MotoGP,” Brivio said.

“You cannot make any assessment. You just have to rely on potential, you know? In future potential.

“And that’s what we did with Ai. We thought he was talented. We thought that he had a riding style close to MotoGP, or potentially becoming a MotoGP style.

“Also, we really liked his approach last year, sometimes in difficulty, some bad starts, to keep recovering, resilience, and fighting.”

Ogura exudes an air of calmness which, initially, Trackhouse might not have known how to interpret.

They discovered it was a key attribute for him.

“Of course, we found out this later again,” Brivio said.

“It’s a bet – you don’t know the potential, but also in reality, you don’t know the person or what their approach is.

“When you live in the same garage, you spend time in the garage, and then you talk to the crew chief, to the technician, then you figure out the characteristics of a rider, and we found out he’s very, yes, very calm.

“He wants to learn, but step by step, taking the right time to understand.”