Marco Bezzecchi
Ai Ogura’s move to Yamaha for the 2027 MotoGP season caught everyone by surprise, including his manager.
The Japanese rider has decided to leave Trackhouse and the Aprilia family after two seasons and make the switch to Yamaha next year. Ogura will replace Alex Rins, who is likely to find himself out of MotoGP.
Jorge Martin will be Ogura’s teammate at Yamaha in 2027, with the Iwata outfit sporting a new rider line-up for the upcoming regulation changes. It came as a huge shock to the paddock, and even his manager was taken aback.
Ai Ogura will join Jorge Martin at Yamaha!
How do you rate their 2027 line-up?
Davide Brivio was told by Ai Ogura’s manager that even he was surprised by his Yamaha move
Speaking after the Spanish Grand Prix, where Ogura finished fifth, via the #ZamTube YouTube channel, Trackhouse boss Davide Brivio admitted his surprise over Ogura’s move to Yamaha, and revealed that his manager was also stunned.
“But we were all surprised,” he said. “I was very surprised because, given that he now has a very competitive team, I thought that, well, let’s say he’d like to make the most of that. But no, he made a different choice.
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“Well, it’s hard to ask him, it’s a bit of a struggle, maybe in a bit he’ll tell us and that’s fine. I mean, everyone makes their own choices.
“No, it surprised me. It surprised everyone, but it surprised his manager too. He told me, ‘I was surprised too’.
“Yes, it was a surprise and that’s it, so, well, never mind. Let’s see if there’s any satisfaction in having, well, discovered it.”
READ MORE: Everything to know about Ai Ogura from height to career stats
Who will replace Ai Ogura at Trackhouse?
With Ogura gone, Trackhouse need to act fast to confirm their rider pairing for the 2027 season. Raul Fernandez is not likely to keep his seat, with his contract set to expire in 2026.
Trackhouse want an ‘experienced’ rider on their team next season, thus increasing Fernandez’s chances of retaining his seat. The American outfit have a few options to consider.
Yamaha’s Izan Guevara could be a target for Trackhouse, but the Iwata outfit are also considering moving him up to MotoGP with Pramac.
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