MotoGP riders have found themselves under unforeseen obsessions from the shape of their teammates.
The first rule of the race is always to beat a teammate, but the first race that catches the eye of a rookie focuses on the more experienced rider next to him.
Ai Ogura entered fifth in the season-opening round and exploded into MotoGP in trackhouse races by registering P4 and P5 finishes.
Ogra thought he backed up that impressive debut at the Argentine Grand Prix at P8.
“He’s a guy that has been overlooked throughout his career because he’s not jazz hand or ‘looking at me’,” said Neil Hodgson of TNT Sports.
“He’s quiet and shy.
“All of a sudden, his personality is allowed to come out. He’s a character he struggles with.”
Truck House rider “under pressure”
Fernandez River
Susie Perry said of Ogra:
Michael Laberty said: “He’s modest and modest, but fast!”
Hodgson added: “When a journalist asks him, ‘What do I need to improve?’ he gives him a one-liner like, ‘I need to be faster!’
“His quirky personality is really beginning to shine.”
But Ogra’s success attracted new attention to his teammate, Raul Fernandez.
Now in his fourth premier class season, he has finished in the 2024 championships in personal best 16th place.
“(Ogra) puts a lot of pressure on Fernandez’s shoulder,” Laberty said.
“Raul currently has several years of experience at MotoGP. He has had several crashes and leads the laps, but has never achieved the performance Ogura did at Taimotoug.
“It’s great that truckhouses get Ogra. People were critical of the decision, but it proves to be the right thing.”
Aprilia’s US-supported satellite project, Trackhouse, was linked to American rider Joe Roberts last year.
However, they chose Ogura, who surprised many paddock insiders instead.
Their belief in Japanese riders has been justified so far – even if it scrutinized his teammate Fernandez.