Ai Ogura rescues Aprilia at Brno: the feat narrowly missed and the "request" to Marc Marquez

Ai Ogura records his best MotoGP weekend yet. For two rounds he’s been flying the Aprilia flag high. And that “question” to Marc Marquez...

Just 421 thousandths shy of matching Makoto Tamada’s feat, the only Japanese rider to win in MotoGP. Ai Ogura, yesterday’s record-breaking poleman and 2nd in the Sprint, finished 2nd again today behind Marc Marquez. He had already made history in the lower classes and today came incredibly close to doing it in the premier class of the World Championship. The achievement of September 19, 2004 in that Japanese GP remains unique for now, but beyond potential history there are clear signs of exponential growth for the 2024 Moto2 world champion, who for two GPs has upheld Aprilia’s honor, targeted by errors and misfortune (the triple KO at Turn 1 in Balaton Park), but also by penalties (Martin’s double Long Lap and Bezzecchi’s disqualification at this GP), not to mention Raul Fernandez’s ailments. Ogura’s feeling with the RS-GP Trackhouse keeps improving more and more—how far can he go this year? A pity (for Aprilia) that next year he’s off to Yamaha...

"I had a good pace at the end, but [Marc Marquez] had something extra..." he said in parc fermé. His expression, along with the Aprilia Trackhouse fist pumps after crossing the line, showed regret tinged with a bit of frustration for a first MotoGP win so close, yet missed. A dream that began with a great start and the first laps in the lead. "It was great having no one in front, I enjoyed the fresh air" he joked to motogp.com afterwards. He doesn’t hide his surprise at being so competitive all weekend. "Qualifying went well, in the Sprint I had good pace, in the GP I had even better pace. But Marc had something more than me" he admitted. He also cracked a joke: "At one point I was telling myself, come on, let me win this one, you’ve got plenty more ahead of you! No, next time." A line that sparked laughter in the press conference, Marc Marquez first and foremost, clearly the target of the Trackhouse Aprilia rider’s “indirect question.”

"We managed to improve one of our weak points, qualifying." A chronic issue that trailed him from the lower classes. He then mentions a small “lack of race strategy.” Meaning what? "If I could race again now, I’d push a bit more from the start, to leave Pecco and Marc a little further back. But you can’t do that" he replied, revealing that touch of regret we mentioned at the beginning. But there’s really no reason to despair: Massimo Rivola in the Trackhouse box to congratulate new team manager Francesco Guidotti, and by extension the whole squad, is a sign of the superb GP Ogura delivered. Sure, there’s lingering bitterness at Aprilia over Bezzecchi’s exclusion, but the good news is the Trackhouse Japanese rider who brought home valuable points between Hungary and the Czech Republic. Clearly he won’t be among the riders taking part in tomorrow’s ultra-private Pirelli test, since he’s leaving the team and brand: time will tell if it’s the right choice for the Japanese rider.

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