Unlucky Ai Ogura (Aprilia): Operation complete – comeback at Misano?

The MotoGP World Championship gets back underway on Friday at MotorLand Aragon. Ai Ogura will not be there. The 25-year-old Japanese rider from the Trackhouse-Aprilia team suffered a fracture to his left thumb during a private motocross training session in his home country (as reported by SPEEDWEEK.com).

On Thursday morning, Ogura underwent surgery in Barcelona, performed by Dr Xavier Mir. The Assen winner’s thumb fracture was fixed by the specialist using a plate and screws. Over the weekend, the situation will be assessed in detail by the surgical team. Based on this information, a detailed rehabilitation plan will then be drawn up for Ogura.

On Thursday afternoon, the team had already outlined a plan for the World Championship contender’s potential return. According to this, there is hope that the rider – currently third in the World Championship standings – could make his comeback at the Misano Adriatico round (11 to 13 September). “The aim is for him to return at Misano,” said Trackhouse team manager Davide Brivio. That would certainly be the ideal scenario. For the time being, Ogura will be replaced by Aprilia test rider Lorenzo Savadori.

Davide Brivio: “It’s naturally sad and disappointing, because we’re in a very good run of form”

Even if a comeback in Misano were to go ahead, the injury could still hamper Ogura for some time to come. “I’m no doctor, but based on other riders’ experiences with similar injuries, they’ve been able to ride again within a few weeks. But every case is different and it’s still too early to say anything,” emphasised Brivio.

Ogura currently lies third in the World Championship standings, 37 points behind his Aprilia team-mate Jorge Martin. In the title race, the injury is a bitter setback for him and also for the Trackhouse team. “It’s naturally sad and disappointing because we’re in a very good run of form – Ai, Raul and the whole team. It’s a shame that this has now been interrupted,” lamented Brivio. “We’re obviously losing points in the championship, but we’re not dwelling on it too much. Unfortunately, all four or five of the top riders have had some sort of problem this year. That’s part of the game. The priority now is for Ai to recover as quickly as possible – so that we can enjoy the rest of the season.”

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28.08.2026 - 08:55