The Aprilia TrackHouse satellite team had a hectic weekend at Aragon, without its strongest rider of the season: Ai Ogura. The Japanese rookie, already a MotoGP revelation in 2025, was forced to withdraw from the start after suffering a broken tibia at Silverstone. Ogura underwent successful surgery and remains sidelined on medical advice—a prudent decision, but one that deprives the team of its main source of data.
With 43 points and astonishing regularity, Ogura quickly established himself as a rising star at TrackHouse, overshadowing his teammate Raul fernandezThe latter, in difficulty since the start of the season, finally seems to have found a little stability, with a 10th place at Aragon and three consecutive top 12s. But alone on the RS-GP25 last weekend, Fernandez could not compensate for the absence of his partner, leaving TrackHouse lacking crucial information for post-GP trials.
So on Monday, the American team improvised. Deprived of its Japanese rookie, it entrusted the handlebars to Manu Gonzalez, a rising Moto2 rider. Winner of several races this year and co-leader of the championship alongsideAron canet, the Spaniard represents a credible option. However, as journalist Simon Patterson points out in The Race MotoGP Podcast, Gonzalez was not the first choice.
Diogo Moreira was initially targeted by TrackHouse
It is Diogo Moreira, the Brazilian Moto2 talent, who was initially targeted by TrackHouse. But the team was blocked dead in its tracks: Italtrans, his current employer in Moto2, has put a contractual veto. It is therefore impossible to see Moreira ride the RS-GP25 at Aragon, despite the obvious interest of TrackHouse that holds the top spot. " It's Livio Suppo in all his glory, saying: 'No, he might get hurt.' ", Patterson reports.
Result: Gonzalez rolled, but the test was only a palliative. Davide Brivio, director of TrackHouse, wanted to calm the speculation: "There was nothing but the test for Gonzalez. » Translation: no long-term commitment. But behind the scenes, the question remains open: Diogo Moreira could it be the wild card of TrackHouse for the future, if Ogura does not return to 100% quickly?
The American team, although young in the paddock MotoGP, shows a clear ambition. And the episode ofAragon above all reveals his desire to explore new talents - even if it means coming up against the contractual constraints of the Moto2 paddock.
One thing is sure: Ogura, if he returns to the Mugello, will have to defend his place in a structure which, despite injuries and unforeseen events, is already looking towards the future.
