Ai Ogura hot property in MotoGP market as Trackhouse gamble pays off

Ai Ogura’s sensational start to his MotoGP career made him a target for rival teams - according to Davide Brivio, director of the Trackhouse MotoGP team.

Brivio reckons there will be strong interest from other teams in the paddock for the Japanese rider’s signature when his contract expires at the end of 2026.

One of Brivio’s standout traits is his sharp instinct for spotting talent and he played a key role in Yamaha’s golden era alongside Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

He later spearheaded Suzuki's return to the championship and led them to a world title with Joan Mir in 2020, before switching disciplines to become Alpine’s sporting director in Formula 1.

Brivio’s latest coup is Ogura, the reigning Moto2 world champion, whom he managed to sign in a move that no one in the paddock saw coming.

While many thought American rider Joe Roberts was the ideal candidate for US-owned Trackhouse, Brivio convinced the Japanese rider, who had been struggling with Honda, to join the Aprilia satellite team alongside Raul Fernandez.

Davide Brivio, Trackhouse Racing

Photo by: Trackhouse Racing Team

After just one race, Brivio’s eye for talent was thoroughly validated when Ogura finished fifth in the opening race of this season in Thailand, becoming the top Aprilia rider in a debut that earned praise from across the grid.

In this season’s five races, he has only finished outside the top 10 once, and he sits in eighth place in the championship standings.

This is in stark contrast to the struggles of Fernandez, who sits last in the standings, with his best finish so far being 12th in Austin.

“Honestly, I believed Ai could do well; that’s why we signed him. But even we’ve been surprised,” Brivio admitted in a phone conversation with Motorsport.com.

“We thought Raul, being in his fourth MotoGP season, would be our benchmark, but that hasn’t been the case so far,” he continued.

“Ai is a guy who listens a lot, learns quickly, and knows what he wants — he doesn’t waste time on things that don’t matter,” said the team boss, who’s beginning to accept the possibility of losing the rider who, for now, is the season’s breakout star.

“For 2027, it’s clear that some factory team will come after him. But we’ll have to see what options arise then,” Brivio added.

Both Ogura and Fernandez are contracted exclusively to Trackhouse, with Aprilia not contributing to their salaries. Their deals run through 2026, just before the new technical regulations come into effect.
If any team wants to sign Ogura before then, they’ll have to pay the buyout clause specified in his contract.

Meanwhile, Motorsport.com understands that Trackhouse intends for Fernández to fulfil his contract—provided his performance improves over the next three months.