The season MotoGP reached an important point this week, as World Championship participants, including Ai Ogura, converge on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, in Jerez, for the Spanish Grand Prix, 5th round of the calendar, but also for the test the following Monday.
For the Trackhouse MotoGP rookie, Jerez, where he has already raced eight times, four times in Moto3 and four times in Moto2, has been a good hunting ground in recent years. The 24-year-old from Kiyose, Saitama, Japan, won here in 2022 in the Moto2 class and in 2017 while learning the ropes in the CEV Moto3 World Championship. He has also finished on the podium in Moto3 and is therefore familiar with this circuit, which equally rewards precision and aggression in a mix of tight, hard-braking corners and short straights. Maximizing tire performance is important, as Jerez's surface, while not very wear-resistant, puts high loads on the Michelin rubber.
But without going back that far, the number 79's performances this year continue to be astonishing, even if the Qatar Grand Prix is the first exception in this regard, with only the point for 15th place collected in the main race, after finishing 7th in the Sprint.
“From the middle of the race, I lost front grip and couldn't do anything. I think I didn't manage the front tire well in the first six or seven laps because I was focused on the rear and didn't worry enough about the front. From Friday to Saturday, I made a big step forward, but it seems my riding style wasn't really good for the 22 laps. I had no other way to set a good time after finishing the tire, everything was frozen. It just wasn't good enough on my side.”
After this relative underperformance, the Japanese rookie, who is in 9th place in the championship, is now eager to fight in Spain, on a circuit he knows well, where he will try to put his growing experience on the RS-GP25 to good use.
“We’re finally arriving in Europe. Jerez is one of my favorite circuits in Spain, and in recent years I’ve been riding very well there. I think it’s pretty good, good for us. The conditions will definitely be different after so many kilometers outside of Europe, and it will be interesting to see where we stand. It will be a new experience; I’ll give my best and see what happens. I can’t wait to start the weekend at another circuit: we’re building little by little, and I can’t wait to get started here.”
Ai Ogura will also discover for the first time the Trackhouse MotoGP hospitality, which will complement the 11 tonnes of equipment repatriated from Qatar following the last Grand Prix.
Davide Brivio, Team Manager: “We’re going to Jerez, and so we’re starting our European campaign. Of course, Jerez is a traditional MotoGP event, and we’re happy to start racing in Europe. It’s also an important moment where I think we’ll start to understand the values of this season, where we are, what we can do, and so we’re looking forward to this round. In Qatar, I think we weren’t bad, but we weren’t able to reach our potential. Now we’re going to Jerez to confirm what we can do with Ai, while continuing to gain experience with him. For Raul, it will be an important moment to understand what we can do and how we can improve his situation. I think it will be an important weekend, and I hope we can take a good step forward.”
Trackhouse MotoGP Team, Davide Brivio
After the race weekend, the Trackhouse MotoGP Team will remain in Jerez for its first test of the season on Monday, April 28. This is one of the rare opportunities to evaluate new parts and develop the performance of its two Aprilia RS-GP25 factory prototypes.
MotoGP Jerez Ai Ogura MotoGP Jerez Ai Ogura
