No podium at Silverstone? Ai Ogura (5th) plays down expectations

Like his Trackhouse team-mate Raul Fernandez, Ai Ogura also made it into the top 10 on Friday at Silverstone, thereby qualifying for Q2. With a time of 1:56.810, the Japanese rider was actually the first driver of the weekend to break the 1:57 barrier. He ultimately recorded the fifth-fastest time of the day.

Ogura wasn’t exactly raving about his performance after Friday’s practice sessions: “It was acceptable,” said the taciturn Japanese rider, analysing his performance. “The lap time was okay, and I finished the first day in fifth place – good.” When asked what, in his opinion, would not have been an acceptable performance, he was more specific. “A lap time that isn’t good enough for the top 10.”

Silverstone brings back unpleasant memories for the Aprilia rider. Last year, during the first free practice session, he landed hard on the tarmac following a highside at Turn 2 and suffered a fracture of the upper right tibial tuberosity. The rookie at the time had to pull out of the weekend and take a break for several weeks. Although he has little knowledge of the circuit, he was nevertheless able to draw on the experience from last year’s FP1.

Ai Ogura is keeping his expectations low

Before the summer break, Ogura finished on the podium three times, securing his first GP victory at Assen. Remarkably, he has scored 117 points since Mugello; only Marc Marquez (Ducati), with 133 points, has scored more than the Trackhouse rider. The 25-year-old has played down expectations for Silverstone: “I don’t expect to finish in the top three on Sunday.” He hopes the weather remains stable and reckons he can finish in the top six.

It was striking that Ogura was mostly out on his own on Friday. When asked how he assessed the competition, he did not reply. He has fond memories of Thursday’s MotoGP public viewing event in London: “I saw happy people; it was good.”

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02.10.2026 - 01:55