OGURA SAYS HE’LL RACE MARTIN AND BEZZECCHI ON HIS OWN TERMS

Ai Ogura says he will not put Jorge Martin’s or Marco Bezzecchi’s title ambitions ahead of his own racing as MotoGP’s 2026 championship battle reaches the Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi.

Martin and Marc Marquez are level in the fight for the title, while Bezzecchi is also among the contenders. Asked whether he might help his Aprilia stablemates, Ogura made his approach clear: “I’ll just focus on my own races.” He added: “If I have to overtake Jorge or Marco, I’ll do it. That’s the situation right now.”

Ogura remains mathematically in contention himself, but injuries forced him to miss the Aragon and Misano rounds, damaging his chances of winning a first premier-class championship. He has since returned to form, scoring well in both races in Austria, and is aiming for a strong result at his home event. “Without a doubt, I’m expecting more than last year,” he said. “I’m showing good pace this year. It’s a shame I got injured before Aragón and missed two races, but I quickly got back into the swing of things in Austria, with good results in both races. I think I’m in good form and expectations are obviously high for this weekend.”

The 25-year-old missed last year’s Japanese Grand Prix and arrives this time as a home favourite after a breakthrough season with Trackhouse-Aprilia. In June, he became Japan’s first premier-class Grand Prix winner since 2004, taking victory at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Despite the increased attention, Ogura said he has not noticed a major change in how he is treated. He did, however, appreciate the response at a recent event: “At last night’s event, I did see lots of people who were happy to see a Japanese rider, and I’d say that was brilliant. I hope motorcycling in Japan can continue to grow more and more.”