BY NEIL MORRISON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GOLD & GOOSE
Q
uiet. Humble. Unassuming. Ai Ogura
(Trackhouse Aprilia) doesn't adhere to the
image of your typical motorcycle racer. But
the 26-year-old Japanese has quickly become the
unlikeliest of MotoGP title contenders, courtesy
of a maiden victory, achieved in a madcap race at
Assen, which turned the title race on its head.
Having come so close to a first premier class
win the previous week, Ogura ensured there was
no doubt at Assen. It was by no means straight
-
forward, with the former Moto2 champ mired in
the pack early on after an early clash with team-
mate Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia), and a
third of a lap lost while his ride-height device
was stuck down cost him more time.
But his now customary late blitz blew fellow
factory men Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) and Fer-
nandez away to secure Japan's first MotoGP suc-
cess since Makoto Tamada won his home race 22
years before on Honda's legendary five-cylinder
RC211V. Never before has a rider from Japan won
with anything other than a Japanese machine.
ROUND 10 / JUNE 26-28, 2026
TT CIRCUIT ASSEN / ASSEN, NETHERLANDS
ROAD RACE I FIM MOTOGP WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
P66
Ai
