Amidst all the Moto2 talent, the Trackhouse team looked back at what made the difference in promoting Ai Ogura to MotoGP.
Ai Ogura is the rider who caused a sensation at the first Grand Prix of the season in Thailand. A rookie discovering the difficult MotoGP category, he took everyone by surprise by immediately fighting at the front.
The reigning Moto2 World Champion, the Japanese rider nonetheless remains a discreet rider, who has never made headlines, even when he was performing well in other categories. While his promotion to MotoGP seemed logical given the performances that would lead him to world glory, it was difficult to predict how quickly he would adapt.
The riders who shine in Moto2 all deserve to be promoted, but it is difficult to bet on one more than the other, in what is basically a real gamble, as recalled Davide Brivio, the team manager of the team track house, in which Ogura evolves this season.
"If we're looking for a youngster to debut in Moto2, we have a lot of opportunities. There are a lot of talented guys, but none who stand out. It's a kind of gamble because we take someone who races in another category and we don't know how he could perform in MotoGP. We have to trust his future potential.", he explained to GP One.
So, faced with an Arón Canet or a Tony Arbolino, what tipped the scales in favor of the Japanese driver, to whom the American Joe Roberts could have been preferred, the team being American? "We believed in his abilities and his riding style, which was close to the demands of these bikes. We also appreciated his attitude, his resilience, his fighting spirit, even in difficult moments.", added Davide Brivio. "Then, once he arrived at our house, we were able to discover his calm. He is a boy who wants to learn, but gradually, taking the necessary time."
Since his flamboyant first Grand Prix in Thailand, Ai Ogura continued to perform discreetly, with a regularity which allows him to currently be ninth in the World Championship.
