Trackhouse Racing reaches the final round of its inaugural season in the MotoGP World Championship – in Barcelona, for the second time in the year. America’s only representative team in the premier class of Grand Prix motorcycle racing returns to Catalunya, along with the rest of the Championship teams, in the wake of the apocalyptic flooding that hit Valencia, the venue originally slated to host the last race of the season, just over one week ago.
Titled the Solidarity Grand Prix as a gesture of sympathy and support for the people of Valencia, where over 200 citizens died in the flood waters that engulfed the region and where there are still many missing, the final round of the season will pay its respects at the Barcelona track to those lost, unaccounted for, or displaced from their homes. Located just over 200 miles to the north-east of Valencia, the circuit escaped the worst of the Dana weather phenomenon – when warm, moist air meets cold air, creating an unstable weather system – which caused the devastation and given its proximity, holding the final race of the year in the region, allows for the fund-raising events and show of support from the MotoGP Paddock planned through the weekend for all those so badly affected.
The 2024 MotoGP World Championship has still to award the #1 plate for ‘25 to the man who makes it to Victory Lane at the Catalunya Circuit and while all eyes will be on that story, the Trackhouse Team will also have reason for celebrations and reflection. First off, the final race will mark the return of the #88 – our Portuguese star, Miguel Oliveira, who joined the Trackhouse MotoGP project at the outset, scored the Team’s first podium in Germany, but has been forced to sit on the side-lines since his wrist fracture, sustained at Mandalika Circuit, Indonesia, back in late September.
The team are grateful to Aprilia factory test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, who stepped up to pilot Miguel’s bike in his absence and now very happily looking forward to welcoming the #88 back and seeing him on his Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP bike, one final time before he moves to pastures new for 2025.
The man who has signed to replace Miguel, is another reason for excitement during the coming days in Barcelona – Ai Ogura, the young Japanese sensation who wrapped up the intermediate, Moto2, class World Championship just a couple three weeks back, in Thailand, will make his debut on a Trackhouse RS-GP24, on the Tuesday following the final Grand Prix of the current year. Tuesday, November 19, will be an auspicious day for the man out of Kiyose, Japan – the first time he will roll-out onto pit-road as a MotoGP rider, with his #79 adorning the nose of the premier class Aprilia prototype. Trackhouse is looking forward to welcoming Ai into The House and supporting him for the next step in his career – his opening season in 2025 at the pinnacle of motorcycle racing.
For #25, Raul Fernandez, a return to the Catalunya Circuit will bring positive memories of his weekend here, earlier in the season. A front row qualifying performance, leading the Sprint race and a 6th place in the Catalunya Grand Prix made the weekend a breakout for Raul. At the conclusion of this visit to the track, with all other current riders finding a future elsewhere, Raul will return for the pre-2025 season test as the most senior race rider on Aprilia technology and will be looking to continue the development work he has been undertaking in recent races to give the Noale factory a strong lead ahead of next year.
While Ai will be making his Trackhouse debut in Barcelona, the Trackhouse Racing Team will be marking the final race of its debut in MotoGP. Having first shown its colors to the world, at a global premier in Milan, back in December 2023, America’s only MotoGP class team launched its season at a star-studded rooftop party in Hollywood – entertainment capital of the world – in January and then got on track for the first time at the opening test of 2024, at Sepang, in Malaysia. Its opening race, under the lights, at Round 1 in Qatar heralded its very first start. Since then, results through the season have not matched the ambitions of the Trackhouse organization, but #25 Raul Fernandez leading in the Catalunya Sprint race and coming home 6th in the Sunday Grand Prix, together with #88 Miguel Oliveira scoring the team’s first podium in the Sachsenring Sprint, are performances that have hinted at the potential in future.
Last time, at the Grand Prix of Catalunya back in late May, the Trackhouse riders both showed speed. Raul qualified 3rd on the grid for the races and although the Sprint resulted in a double DNF – Raul led in the opening laps before going down and Miguel ran in 7th before he also crashed out – the Grand Prix on the Sunday gave the team a double top ten with the #25 crossing the finishing stripe in 6th and the #88 close behind in 10th.
Another double top ten, this time in the Solidarity Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, or Sunday’s final main race of the 2024 season, would be a pleasing result for the rookie outfit and all at Trackhouse headquarters back in Charlotte, North Carolina.
MIGUEL OLIVEIRA
“I’m really excited to come back to racing MotoGP. My expectations are not very high because I don’t know how limited my wrist is until I get back on the bike and it’s a Grand Prix with mixed feelings for sure, but my aim is to leave the Trackhouse team on a high. We, obviously, will be racing to gather some hope and also funds for those affected by the catastrophic events in Valencia so overall – I’m looking forward to it!”
Championship standing: 15th – 71 points
RAUL FERNANDEZ
“First of all, we will race for all the people affected in Valencia. What happened there is still a shock, so we will compete for them. Barcelona is a good track for us and although we will keep working for next year mainly, I would like to finish the last round of the season well. The result we had here, in Barcelona, last time makes me really optimistic. I would still like to stay calm, take it session by session and try to do my best.”
Championship standing: 16th – 66 points
WILCO ZEELENBERG – TEAM MANAGER
“Of course, let’s hope Barcelona is going to be a very special event, first of all, for the reason we go there, which is not the best. Let’s try to do everything for the people in Valencia to help them in whatever way we can. As the MotoGP organization says, we don’t race in Valencia, but we race for Valencia – I think this is very nicely said and makes this second round in Barcelona very special. For our team, it will also be a special one because Miguel is coming back from injury and Raul led the Sprint race, at this home event here, early in summer. Our bike worked quite well there before so we will see if we can achieve the race results of the past. I’m looking forward to going there, the last MotoGP race of this season and maybe also, the final one of my career. Other than that, I think the team will be ready for this last event of the season.”
DAVIDE BRIVIO – TEAM PRINCIPAL
“We are going to Barcelona for the last race with mixed feelings after what happened in Valencia and continuing to keep an eye on the situation there. It was supposed to be our big, end of year party and the good thing is that we hope that with funds that can be raised from this race, in Barcelona, we can now be helpful to the people of Valencia and in general for all the Spanish population. From a sporting point-of-view, it is very interesting for us to go back to Barcelona, after the race we had here in May, where we had Raul starting on the front row and leading the Sprint before crashing – so we were quite fast there and it will be interesting to see, after the months that have past, where we are this time. Also, the very positive news is that Miguel will be back with us! We are very happy to be able to finish the end of this season together, before we move on for 2025 with new challenges – particularly in Miguel’s case. So, we are really looking forward to Barcelona; aiming to have a successful weekend on track and hoping that we can show our support for all the people affected by the disaster in Valencia and proud of any help the weekend can bring to them.”
