Why Trackhouse MotoGP boss was “worried” during Jerez race

A battle for fifth place isn’t usually the kind of thing to get a team manager too concerned, but during the Jerez MotoGP Davide Brivio was “worried” as his two riders battled for that final top-five spot.

Ai Ogura and Raul Fernandez had had almost opposite races during the Spanish MotoGP on 26 April, Fernandez starting well before his pace faded slightly at the end while Ogura started slowly and made up ground in the last laps.

The two riders converged in the closing laps as Fernandez caught Johann Zarco and Ogura ate into the gap ahead of him. They both cleared Zarco within a lap of each other, and then Ogura used his superior late-race performance to get the better of his teammate, Trackhouse Racing boss Brivio admitting afterwards that while he knows Ogura is “clever” he was concerned about the potential outcomes of their battle.

“I was worried,” Brivio said lightheartedly when speaking to TNT Sports after the race in Jerez.

“When I saw 0.4, 0.3, 0.2 I said ‘Oh my God, here we are!’ But I know that Ai is quite clever, he knows what to do – hopefully! 

“But then I thought maybe next time it’s better we talk a little bit more before the race! 

“It was good. We enjoyed a lot, it was great fun and it was good to see that recovery. Jerez is a track where it’s not that easy to do many overtakes in recovery. 

“We started P9, P11, and I think if we would’ve had a qualifying on the dry we could’ve stayed maybe one or two rows more in front and it would’ve been another race. 

“Anyway, I’m happy because despite that we managed to get a good recovery to end up with top-six with both riders, a good battle, I think we entertained a bit the public and the fans. Happy, we enjoyed.”

Fernandez and Ogura now sit sixth and eighth in the standings, respectively, either side of Jerez winner Alex Marquez.