Moto2 championship contender Ai Ogura is closing on a move to join Trackhouse Racing in MotoGP next year, Motorsport.com can reveal.
Although a deal is yet to be finalised, it is understood that Ogura has reached an agreement to race a satellite Aprilia RS-GP for Trackhouse, where he will partner incumbent Raul Fernandez, who recently inked a new two-year contract until 2026.
The Japanese rider’s expected move to Trackhouse marks the latest twist in the rider market which, if completed, could leave four-time grand prix winner Jack Miller without a seat next year. Miller was previously linked to the American outfit after being dropped by KTM for next year in favour of rising star Pedro Acosta.
Joe Roberts, who also races in Moto2 like Ogura, will also be left hanging after holding several conversations with Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio about a possible graduation to the premier class.
Ogura is being considered for a MotoGP seat by Trackhouse in the wake of his results with the MT Helmets - MSi squad in Moto2, where he currently sits second in the standings and just seven points adrift of leader Sergio Garcia.
He has scored two wins so far in 2024, the same tally as Garcia, and has finished all but one race inside the top five. Ogura also fought for the 2022 title until the very end, narrowly losing out to current Tech3 racer Augusto Fernandez, but endured a difficult ‘23 campaign that forced him to part ways with Honda-backed Idemitsu Team Asia and join MT Helmets - MSi.
Trackouse is an interesting choice for the 23-year-old, who remains a part of Honda’s young rider roster and hence would have been a more likely candidate for an LCR seat.
His defection to Trackhouse in 2025 will almost certainly mean that Honda executives will continue to support Takaaki Nakagami.
Nakagami has done a reasonable job on Honda’s troubled MotoGP challenger this year, scoring 10 points compared to 12 for team-mate Johann Zarco and 13 for HRC rider Joan Mir.
Interestingly, Honda considered the possibility of fielding Ogura at LCR in MotoGP this year in place of Nakagami, but he turned down the offer because he wanted to step up to the premier class as the reigning Moto2 champion. He also considered it too risky to make his debut on a bike as tricky to master as the current RC213V.
Pending confirmation of the deal, he is now expected to be among the new riders who will have to learn the RS-GP next alongside factory Aprilia recruits Jorge Martin and Marco Bezzecchi.
