Concern raised over MotoGP rider under unexpected “huge pressure”

A MotoGP rider has found himself under perhaps unexpected duress from his teammate’s form.

The first rule of racing is always to beat your teammate but a rookie’s eye-catching first races have put renewed focus on the more experienced rider next to him.

Ai Ogura burst into MotoGP with Trackhouse Racing by qualifying fifth in the season-opening Thailand round, then registering P4 and P5 finishes.

Ogura thought he had backed up that impressive debut with a P8 in the grand prix in Argentina until a strange infringement saw him disqualified.

“He’s a guy who, throughout his career, has been overlooked because he isn’t jazz-hands or ‘look at me’,” TNT Sports’ Neil Hodgson said.

“He’s a quiet and shy individual.

“All of a sudden, his personality has been allowed to come out. He’s a wry character.”

Trackhouse rider 'under pressure'

Suzi Perry said about Ogura: “He’s glass half-empty. Any interview pre-race he’ll tell you all of the negatives. He isn’t somebody who says ‘this circuit will suit me’.”

Michael Laverty said: “He is modest and understated, but fast!”

Hodgson added: “When journalists ask him ‘what do you need to improve?’ He gives one-liners like ‘I need to be faster!’

“His quirky personality is really starting to shine.”

But the success of Ogura has brought new attention to his teammate Raul Fernandez.

Now in his fourth premier class season, he achieved a personal-best 16th in the championship in 2024.

“[Ogura] puts huge pressure on Fernandez’s shoulders,” Laverty said.

“Raul has had a few years of experience in MotoGP now. He’s had a few crashes, he has led laps, but he’s never delivered the performance that Ogura did at the Thailand MotoGP. It heaps the pressure onto Fernandez, he has got to deliver.

“It’s great for Trackhouse to get Ogura. People were critical of the decision but it’s been proven to be the right one.”

Trackhouse, the US-backed satellite project of Aprilia, were linked with American rider Joe Roberts last year.

However, they instead chose Ogura which surprised many paddock insiders.

Their faith in the Japanese rider has so far been justified - even if it has piled the scrutiny onto teammate Fernandez.