AI OGURA UNDERGOES HAND SURGERY AFTER MOTOCROSS CRASH; MISANO RETURN STILL POSSIBLE

Ai Ogura will not take part in this weekend’s MotoGP action at MotorLand Aragón after suffering a fracture in his left thumb during private motocross training in Japan. The Trackhouse-Aprilia rider, 25, broke the thumb area of his left hand, ruling him out of the Aragon round.

Ogura underwent surgery in Barcelona on Thursday morning with Dr. Xavier Mir. The fracture was treated with a plate and screws. Over the course of the weekend, the medical team will reassess his condition precisely with the surgeon’s team, and only then will a detailed rehabilitation plan be drawn up.

Inside Trackhouse-Aprilia, the team has already discussed a possible route back to racing. Team manager Davide Brivio said the “goal is that he returns in Misano,” referring to the Misano Adriatico event on 11–13 September. If Ogura’s recovery follows the best-case scenario, a comeback at Misano remains the ideal plan. In the meantime, Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori will step in to cover for Ogura.

Brivio acknowledged the setback despite the team being in a strong phase. “It’s of course sad and disappointing, because we are in a very good phase,” he said. He also stressed that the injury could still affect Ogura for longer than expected. While Brivio is not a doctor, he pointed to past experiences from other riders: “I’m not a doctor, but from the experiences of other riders with such injuries, they were able to ride again after a few weeks. But every case is different, and it’s too early to say anything.”

In the championship, Ogura currently sits third, trailing Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin by 37 points. The injury is therefore a major blow for both Ogura and Trackhouse. Brivio said it is “a shame” that the momentum has been interrupted, adding that while points are lost in the standings, the team is not focusing too heavily on that right now. He concluded that the priority is for Ogura to recover as quickly as possible so the rest of the season can be enjoyed.