Marco Bezzecchi
Trackhouse’s brand-new title sponsorship deal could reportedly lead to a late change of plans for their 2027 line-up.
The Aprilia satellite team are losing Ai Ogura to Yamaha at the end of the year, while there has been uncertainty over the future of Raul Fernandez.
Enea Bastianini was expected to join Trackhouse to fill one of the seats, but according to Motosprint, that move is now in doubt.
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Trackhouse announced ahead of the Hungarian GP that data company Superfile, already a sponsor, had secured a ‘long-term’ naming rights deal. This naturally gives them greater influence over the team.
This has ‘changed the game’ in terms of rider selection, with the Americans objecting to Fernandez’s anticipated departure. His stock has been ‘rising rapidly’ and he now looks ‘closer to staying on than leaving’.
On the other side of the garage, Moto2 championship leader Manuel Gonzalez is ‘very close’ to agreeing a deal. Gonzalez has previously tested for Justin Marks’ squad and clearly made a good impression.
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There’s now a real chance that the team will back out of their ‘agreement’ with Bastianini. The Tech3 rider wasn’t able to sign a contract until July due to a clause in his existing KTM deal, and that delay may have cost him.
It remains to be seen whether Bastianini will now stay at Guenther Steiner’s squad. Much will depend on whether he has preserved the relationship.
Trackhouse will have a new team manager next year, with Davide Brivio leaving to take on an advisory role at Honda. Former KTM chief Francesco Guidotti is set to become the new boss.
Fernandez recently won the Sprint at Mugello, his second overall victory in the premier class after he broke his Grand Prix duck in Australia last year. It’s unclear how big a role that result played in Superfile’s intervention.
He currently ranks eighth in the championship, 12 points and two places below teammate Ogura.
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