Ai Ogura’s Sprint race at Phillip Island took a disappointing turn as a post-race penalty for non-compliant front tire pressure relegated the Trackhouse Aprilia rider from sixth to thirteenth, wiping out the four points he initially earned. Despite a steady pace and a solid performance on a wet track, Ogura’s race weekend suffered a significant blow with this sanction, overshadowing his efforts in challenging conditions.
Starting twelfth on the grid, Ogura acknowledged a respectable performance in the Sprint, admitting he failed to gain any positions after the initial two or three laps but maintained a consistent rhythm thereafter. “The Sprint didn’t go badly. It’s a shame I didn’t gain any positions after the first few laps. From then on, my pace was quite good. I raced quite well,” Ogura reflected. However, the Japanese rider was candid about his struggle on the wet surface, noting his pace was exactly as expected but still too slow. “I knew I was very slow on the wet track, but losing five seconds in qualifying is excessive,” he added.
Ogura is determined to improve in Sunday’s warm-up session, emphasizing that starting twelfth left little room for further decline. “Tomorrow morning I still have the warm-up session. I’m improving, but starting from twelfth, it’s impossible to do worse,” he said. He also revealed plans to address his wet-weather performance, inspired by Dani Pedrosa’s approach of training on used tires to adapt better. “I have to plan something. I can’t keep going like this throughout my career,” Ogura admitted candidly.
Looking ahead to the main race, Ogura tempered expectations, describing it as almost a training exercise. “It will be like a training session. I think after four or five laps, everyone will overtake me, but I’ll try to stay close to the riders ahead. It’s going to be tough,” he concluded.
The penalty for tire pressure non-compliance was a harsh finale to Ogura’s day. The race direction’s investigation confirmed that the front tire pressure fell below the minimum regulation, resulting in an eight-second penalty that pushed him down seven places in the Sprint classification. This reshuffle elevated Brad Binder to sixth, Jack Miller to seventh, Diogo Moreira to eighth, and Iker Lecuona to ninth, securing the last point-scoring position.
The sanction added to Trackhouse Aprilia’s woes at Phillip Island, where teammate Raúl Fernández failed to finish and will miss the main race. Ogura’s situation casts a shadow over the team’s prospects, highlighting the fine margins and strict technical scrutiny that define MotoGP racing at the highest level.