
Follow live: Magic host Hornets in play-in tournament battle
Magic host Hornets in a must-win play-in tournament game!
Ai Ogura is showcasing his potential in the 2026 MotoGP season, earning praise for his performances with the Trackhouse team. He achieved a top-five finish in the Thai GP and was close to a podium in Austin before an engine failure ended his race.
Motorsport photo
Ai Ogura earned plenty of screen time during the opening leg of the 2026 MotoGP season. While factory riders Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin led the charge for Aprilia so far, Ogura has also drawn praise for his performances with the satellite Trackhouse team.
The Japanese rider first caught the eye when he rose from 10th to fifth in the final eight laps of the Thai GP, matching his best finish in MotoGP. It was telling that Ogura was still not satisfied with the result, admitting he left more on the table by being âshitâ in the first half of the race.
The remark offered valuable insights into his mentality and underlined his growing hunger to improve. After the Goiania weekend came and went with a double top-five finish, that ambition was again evident at Austin, where he was knocking on the door of a podium finish until an engine issue forced him out of the race.
The outcome may be heartbreaking for Ogura, but the fact that he was contending for a top-three result in the first place was a clear sign of progress.
Across the opening three rounds, it is fair to say Ogura looked stronger than his more experienced team-mate Raul Fernandez. While both have struggled to extract the best out of the RS-GP in qualifying, Ogura has largely been able to recover from lower grid positions in races.
Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing
Much was expected from Ogura when he stepped up to MotoGP last year as the reigning Moto2 champion. A fourth and a fifth on his debut weekend only raised hopes, but those results proved to be the high point of an otherwise underwhelming rookie campaign.
However, the opening phase of the 2026 season suggests he is now beginning to deliver on that early promise.
According to Trackhouse team principal Davide Brivio, Oguraâs improved form is the result of increased maturity, with his struggles in 2025 largely influenced by injuries rather than a lack of pace.
Ogura broke his leg during a crash over the British GP weekend and needed surgery, while another accident at Misano left him with a hand injury.
Davide Brivio, Trackhouse Racing
âWe are pleased, but it's nothing we didnât expect. This is what we were working on,â he said at Austin.
âWhat you call the roller coaster of last year, that was very much influenced by the injury. We had two big injuries. When he got the injury, it was a little bit of a step back, and then it takes time to recover and everything. Now hopefully everything's going okay.
âWe know he's fast, we know he has talent, and it's a matter of going through the first year of experience, to make mistakes, to learn, to understand, and we have seen him starting in the season more mature and more aware of what he can do. But not just aware, but having experience. He knows what to expect.
âThe rhythm of MotoGP is higher than Moto2. In Moto2, you can take it more easy, but in MotoGP you have to be ready by Friday morning.
âSo he has to go through this process, and this year he has more mentally prepared to approach what MotoGP requires.
âBut this is a never-ending job. Even if you race 15 yearsâŠ. I tell everybody, you always have something to learn, and it's what he's doing.â
Despite the mechanical-induced retirement in the US GP, Ogura has already accumulated 37 points, just three fewer than his team-mate Fernandez and close to half of what he scored (89) during in an injury-hit 2025 season.
Read Also:
Ducati carries out 850cc MotoGP bike shakedown at Misano
Shoulder injury pushes Marc Marquez into his third-longest winless streak in MotoGP
Brivio thinks it is only a matter of time before Ogura is able to stand on the podium for the first time in MotoGP.
âThis is what we have to do this year, we have to stay as close as possible to the top positions, and take the opportunity when they come,â he said.
âSooner or later maybe you will get an opportunity. You just have to be ready by that time.â
Ogura's performances have not gone unnoticed, with Motorsport.com reporting last weekend that he will join the factory Yamaha team in 2027.
To read more Motorsport.com articles visit our website.
Ai Ogura rose from 10th to fifth place in the final eight laps of the Thai GP, matching his best finish in MotoGP.
Ogura has earned multiple top-five finishes and has been praised for his performances, particularly with the Trackhouse team.
Ogura was on track for a podium finish in Austin but had to retire due to an engine issue.
Ogura expressed dissatisfaction with his performance, indicating a strong desire to improve and a competitive mentality.

Magic host Hornets in a must-win play-in tournament game!
LSU's recruiting class is trending up with Ah'Mari Stevens' commitment!
Catch the UFC Fight Night: Burns vs. Malott ceremonial weigh-ins from Winnipeg!
Laurin Heinrich sets fastest pace at Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach!
Falcons trade Ruke Orhorhoro to Jaguars for Maason Smith; ESPN grades it.
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.