During January's Trackhouse launch, former grand prix racer John Hopkins suggested the new US team looks no further than his American Racing Moto2 rider Joe Roberts for a future homegrown MotoGP star.

With Roberts running second in the early Moto2 standings, and current Trackhouse riders Miguel Oliveira and Raul Fernandez out of contract at the end of this season, might such a MotoGP mov𓄧e become a reality for 2025?

“I actually went to their [Trackhouse]🌞 team unveiling, it was ten minutes from my house in LA,” said Roberts. “It was a really cool event that they put on. I got to know some of the guys thꦫere. They are really nice people.

“Yeah, if the [Trackhouse MotoGP] opportunity comes knockingꦐ, why not! For sure, it’d be awesome. But I’ve just to focus on this championship right n🐟ow.”

Roberts was previously offered an Aprilia MotoGP ride in 2021 but joined fellow Moto2 riders Marco Bezzecchi and Fabio di Giannantonio in turning down what was then a far less competitive RS🧸-GP.

At that time, Roberts also felt he didn’t have the nec꧃essary experience to justify a seat in the premier class, having only three seasons in grand prix under h🧸is belt and a single Moto2 podium to his name.

Roberts instead chose a⛎ switch from American Racing to the more proven Italtrans outfit as his next career st🌜ep.

But his results initially declined, being absent from the rostrum throughout 2021 before a triumphant debut g🔥rand prix victory at a re-started Portimao race in early 2022.

The sporadic podiums (four in four seasons) continued until tಌhe end of last year, when he👍 opted for a return ‘home’ to American Racing for the new Pirelli era.

Seventh place in Qatar was followed by second place in Portimao, putting the 26-year-old in an early second in the st♔andings behind Aron Canet.

“We include John [Hopkins] a lot in our technical briefings and I just think we’ve found something that is rideable, I’m able to adapt my lines,” Roberts said of his strong start ♏to this season.

“Whereas the last f🃏ew years I was on🍃ly able to ride one way around the track and then as the tyres wore off, I wasn’t able to really adapt to that change.

“Now I have the bike set-up better. You can turn it, you can also use the rearꦫ brake and slide into the corner, which gives me a bit of room to play and helps with the tyres especially.

“I just think it’s a really good working environme🎉nt we have righ🧔t now.

“The [Pirelli] tyres for me, I generally like the feeling with the front. Most riders are the same but if I can’t get that turning out of the front tyre it’s really🦋 difficult for me.

“So that’s something the Pirellis have really brꦓought me, with the softer💜 rubber. But with [the harder option] we were really competitive in testing as well.

“I’m really looking to the rest of the season. I think we’ve got a super competitiveꦑ package and the goal is to be right where we are now, if not one step ahead.”

It remains to be seen if ꦏRoberts can indeedꦇ break the previous inconsistency but there’s no doubt he’s performing at exactly the right time as far as 2025 contract negotiations.

American riders dominated grand prix racing from Kenny Roberts in the lateꦡ 1970s to Kevin Schwantz in 1993. However, the last American champion was the late Nicky Hayden in 2006 and the most recent race win by Ben Spies in 2011.

The MotoGP class has been withꦫout a single full-time American since Hayden in 2015.

The literature accompanying the recent takeover of MotoGP’s commercial rights by Liberty Media included the goal of ‘Expansion… Especially in Key Growth Markets including🎐 US’. Something for which an American rider would be a maj🤪or asset.

Round 3 ofꦑ the 2024 season will be Trackhouse and Roberts’ home American round at COTA.