The meteoric rise of Ai Ogura to the MotoGP has been nothing short of astonishing. As the current Moto2 champion, Ogura even managed to impress himself with his performance in the first race of the season. After crossing the finish line in fifth place at the Buriram circuit, coupled with a fourth-place finish in the sprint, the Japanese rider was utterly thrilled, confessing, “To be honest, I didn’t expect it – it was a lovely surprise.” This impressive debut has left many wondering what sparked the interest of top teams in this young talent.
In an exclusive interview with Autosport, Davide Brivio, director of the Trackhouse team, and Jordi Pons, Ogura’s agent, shed light on what they saw in the 24-year-old rider six months ago when negotiations first began. These talks culminated surprisingly quickly, leaving many to ponder the factors that led to such a swift decision. Brivio reflected on Ogura’s ability to navigate challenging situations during his Moto2 days, saying, “I wasn’t closely following his early stages, but last year in Moto2, I was impressed by how he managed to get out of difficult situations.” He also praised Ogura’s riding style, which seemed well-suited for MotoGP, adding, “After speaking with Matteo Baiocco, Aprilia’s test rider, I was convinced. The fact that he was Japanese made him an interesting prospect, but we couldn’t test him beforehand, so there was some risk involved.”
Jordi Pons highlighted the significant decision Ogura made in 2023, choosing to part ways with Honda, the company that had supported him throughout his career, to join MT. Pons emphasized the gravity of this choice, stating, “I’m not sure people realize what it means for a Japanese rider, bred under Honda’s wing, to go into HRC and tell them he’s leaving.” This bold move underscores Ogura’s determination and ambition, traits that have not gone unnoticed by his current team.
When asked to describe Ogura, both Brivio and Pons concur: “He’s an atypical Japanese rider.” Brivio, however, has identified something special in Ogura, making him an exciting project: “We’ve found a diamond that now needs to be polished. He’s very humble, but also very sharp. He learns quickly and doesn’t stop. Once he masters something, he moves on to the next challenge.” This unique blend of humility and aggression on the track has positioned Ogura as a force to be reckoned with in the MotoGP.
The weekend’s events saw Ogura learning valuable lessons from riding behind ‘Pe!cco’, which he then applied during the race, ultimately leading to his fifth-place finish. As the director of Trackhouse noted, “On Saturday, he told us he learned a lot from riding behind Pecco, and on Sunday, he said he applied it in the race, which allowed him to finish fifth.” This capacity to absorb and implement new strategies mid-season is a testament to Ogura’s adaptability and eagerness to improve, making his future in MotoGP look incredibly promising.