The shocking thing Trackhouse couldn’t ‘afford’ for their 2025 MotoGP launch

Add as preferred source on Google

MotoGP launch season got underway this week, with Trackhouse the first to unveil their new bike. In truth, the teams are showing off their new liveries rather than their new aerodynamics.

Trackhouse were compared to Suzuki by MotoGP fans after adopting a bold new colour scheme. When they entered the premier class last year their livery was inspired by their native American flag.

But now they’ve taken on a new identity, revealing a predominantly light blue machine with luminous yellow streaks. Tuesday’s launch was also the first official glimpse of new rider and Moto2 champion Ai Ogura.

Two days later, their suppliers held a far more elaborate event at Sky Sports’ Italian studios. The difference in scale was partly to be expected given that Aprilia are a factory outfit fresh from the signing of world champion Jorge Martin.

Gresini became the third team to display their 2025 challenger on Saturday evening. Title holders Ducati will garner most attention of all on Monday as they parade Marc Marquez.

Trackhouse didn’t have a professional photographer for their MotoGP launch

It was clear from the outset that Trackhouse’s launch would be low-key. They decided to hold it North Carolina without any fans or journalists in attendance.

But speaking on The Race MotoGP podcast, journalist Simon Patterson expressed his concerns. There’s a noticeable lack of sponsor logos on the bike, aside from a small Gulf emblem over the front wheel.

Patterson says team owner Justin Marks is funding the team, which isn’t ‘sustainable’ long-term. It’s perhaps telling that he didn’t take part in any media sessions.

The journalist was also shocked that the team didn’t hire a professional photographer for the images they shared on social media. That, he says, sends a worrying message.

“We essentially have a MotoGP team that is being funded by the generosity and goodwill of Justin Marks, the team principal,” Patteron said. “That is in no way sustainable.

“It asks serious questions about where this project is going. To make it even worse, whenever the team did video call, media scrums with the main characters, the main players, Justin Marks didn’t arrive to his to answer any of those questions.

“When you’re the team who by far leads the MotoGP standings in technical problems on track, you want to at least look slick in one part of your presentation. You don’t want to look like – this is going to sound harsh – a club racing team. You want to look like the most bells and whistles MotoGP team in the world.

“You want to look good. And they don’t look good at the minute. The imagery from the launch, I know it’s such a small detail in the grand scheme of things… whenever you don’t bother to bring a professional photographer for their bike launch pictures, you think, if they can’t afford that, what else are they not able to fund?”

Trackouse rider Ai Ogura has already developed a ‘disdain’ for one thing

Trackhouse finished ninth in the 2024 standings with 141 points, leaving them three behind the Yamaha factory squad and ahead of the two Honda outfits. Given KTM’s financial woes, Aprilia can realistically hope to field the second-best bike this year.

That, in turn, should improve Trackhouse’s prospects. They could look to finish above counterparts Tech3, who were a couple of spots ahead last term.

Ogura has signed a two-year deal with Marks’ squad and, if he continues to display the potential he did in the intermediate class, he could attract interest from factory teams. Trackhouse must earn his long-term faith to avoid that outcome.

One thing he’s unlikely to do is complain in the press. Ogura is already showing a ‘disdain’ for the media, even though he’s only just graduated to MotoGP.