The missing link
Laverty signs Ogden and Whatley to all-British Moto3 squad
‘We’ve put this together in just three weeks’
For the first time since 2014 when PBM ran in MotoGP, there will be a new British team complete with two British riders competing in the Moto3 world championship in 2022. The all-new Vision Track Honda Racing Team has been pulled together by former racer, BT Sport pundit and MCN contributor Michael Laverty and it means that the UK will finally have a guaranteed route for young British riders to compete in and, hopefully progress through, the ranks of the world championship.
Laverty set up the Vision Track riding academy at the end of 2020 and signed six riders to race in the British Mini Bike championship and revealed that he had a twoto-three-year plan to get a grid slot in Moto3. But the demise of the current Petronas SRT squad who have lost their title sponsor Petronas for 2022, meant that a grid slot became available and it was too good an opportunity to miss.
Laverty said: “The seed was planted for a British team in Moto3 and no one else stepped up so literally three weeks to the day after the idea was floated as to whether I could put it all together in such a short time frame… we’ve managed to do it.” Laverty will take over many of the current assets of the SRT Moto3 squad including their workshop facilities in Belgium. Working closely with series promoters Dorna and IRTA (the International race teams association) means that Laverty can finally put in place a crucial step in the development of British talent. Spain has enjoyed unprecedented success in all classes in recent years due to an incredible support structure, while Valentino Rossi’s VR46 academy is bearing serious fruit after years of top-level backing. John Hopkins is also playing a pivotal role of bringing Americans into the series with his own academy and his American Racing Moto2 team. The proof is there that nurturing riders from an early age is the now proven route to Grand Prix glory.
Backed by Vision Track boss, Simon Marsh, Laverty confirmed the two British riders who are set to make history with the all-new team. Scott Ogden, aged 17, is the 2019 British Talent Cup winner and currently competes in the FIM Moto3 Junior World Championship for the Aspar Junior team as well as being part of the Red Bull rookies scheme. He has shown he has exactly what it takes having secured his first Junior World Championship victory at Jerez last month. He will be joined by 16-yearold Josh Whatley who is another top-level Brit competing in the Junior World championship where he secured tenth last time out at Misano.