AI OGURA SAYS HE SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED HIS INSTINCTS AFTER HAND SURGERY ADVICE DELAYED HIS RETURN
1d ago·
Trackhouse MotoGP rider Ai Ogura has explained that his return to racing was delayed after he followed medical advice that he now believes he shouldn’t have. Speaking to the media at the Red Bull Ring, the Japanese rider said doctors told him not to undergo surgery for a hand injury, but that he listened anyway.
Ogura fractured his left hand in a training incident while he was firmly in the championship fight. As a result, he missed the Aragon Grand Prix and then also sat out last weekend’s San Marino Grand Prix while recovering from an operation. He is now cleared to race again this weekend in Austria.
Asked about whether he was told he didn’t need surgery, Ogura replied: “That’s what Japanese doctors told me.” He added: “I have nothing against them, but I shouldn’t have listened to them.” When further questioned about when he might have been able to return had he ignored that initial guidance, he answered: “Misano, probably.”
Ogura also described the current state of his left hand. He said it is slightly weaker than his right, but that he felt fine during a bike test last week. “Of course, a little less [strength] compared to the right hand,” he said. “But the gap now between the hands is not that much. So, slowly getting back to normal.”
He noted that his testing conditions were not a perfect indicator because it was on a smaller machine. “Last Monday, yeah. Small bike, so almost it can’t be any kind of example. At least on a small bike I was fine, almost 100%.”
For the Austria weekend, Ogura said he plans to begin with his usual setup. “Tomorrow morning I will start with normal position of everything,” he explained. He also outlined how he uses his thumb to activate the rear device, and what he will do if the movement feels too demanding. “To activate the rear device I use my thumb. But if it’s quite hard to do I will switch [system].”
While he expects to manage discomfort during riding, Ogura stressed that he is not planning to take unnecessary risks with the injury. “For sure, I will deal with this pain on the bike. But there is no chance that I make it worse,” he said. “So, I skipped Misano in case I crashed and made it worse.”
The missed rounds have had a major impact on his season. After sitting out the last two races, Ogura’s championship hopes are described as effectively over, with him 71 points behind the joint leaders, Marc Marquez and Jorge Martin. His absence has also affected Aprilia’s position in the manufacturers’ standings, with the team losing the lead there, now only two points ahead of Ducati.