For the second MotoGP event in a row, Ai Ogura was left wondering what might have been.
After a technical failure while on course to secure a debut MotoGP podium in COTA, the Japanese was the quickest rider on track over the final ten laps at Jerez on Sunday – outpacing the likes of winner Alex Marquez and factory Aprilia runner-up Marco Bezzecchi.
However, not helped by a lowly eleventh on the grid after the wet qualifying, Ogura again lost far too much time early in the grand prix and finished 9.891s behind Gresini Ducati race winner Alex Marquez.
In a further sign of his potential, Ogura took the chequered flag just 0.6s from Bezzecchi’s team-mate Jorge Martin, who had been 4.5s clear of Ogura at the midway stage of the 25 laps.
Ogura’s final lap alone was 0.6s faster than the next-quickest rider, Bezzecchi.
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2026 Spanish MotoGP Race Lap Times: Top 6 riders.
© Peter McLaren
“We have to improve the first part”
“Okay, we can be super, super, happy about the late race pace. But from the start until the mid-part of the race, we struggled quite a lot,” Ogura said.
“I lost so much time on Bastianini but, after the feeling was there and I started to catch the riders in front of me, but we have to improve the first part.”
After nine laps stuck behind Tech3 KTM’s Enea Bastianini, Ogura was able to unleash his used-tyre pace, overtaking Johann Zarco and, on the last lap, team-mate Raul Fernandez for fifth.
“It seems when everybody has good tyre performance, they can use this extra advantage, but I’m struggling with that,” he confirmed.
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“I need to understand why but, at the same time, it’s good in the second part of the race, when everybody struggles and I’m not struggling so much.
“We keep these positive things and tomorrow we have to work on the first part of the race.”
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