The factory Aprilia team’s delight at its second one-two finish in a week was tempered by the loss of a likely podium sweep.
With Marco Bezzecchi and team-mate Jorge Martin leading the way, Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura was closing in on Pedro Acosta for third.
The Japanese set the fastest lap of the race on lap 9 and was almost within reach of the KTM rider when his RS-GP’s engine suddenly went into ‘protection mode’, forcing him out with five laps to go.
“When Ogura had the problem it made by blood run cold,” GPone.com quotes Aprilia Racing CEO Massimo Rivola as saying.
“Ogura had a problem with the engine protection, so at a certain point the engine went into protection mode.
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“We need to figure it out because in theory the same thing could have happened to the others.”
US MotoGP lap times: Podium plus Ai Ogura.
© Peter McLaren
“Not what we deserved”
Ogura was crestfallen at losing out on a first premier-class podium.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m just so sorry for the Trackhouse Team, everybody works so hard but the way we ended the weekend wasn’t really what we deserve,” he said. “A shame.
“At the end of sector one I started to see a warning and after that the bike wasn’t really going anymore.”
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Team principal Davide Brivio added: “Ai Ogura was doing a fantastic race! He did the fastest lap, was recovering from P10 at the start and I think we could have gotten onto the podium.
“It was there but then, unfortunately, there was a problem on the engine and the bike stopped. Ai had to retire and we are so disappointed. I want to apologise to him, he deserved to have a great day today in Austin, the Trackhouse home race.
“Everything was going to be perfect, but it didn’t end well.”
Team-mate Raul Fernandez finished in eighth place.
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