The 2025 Qatar Grand Prix left Ai Ogura, TrackHouse Racing's Japanese star, with a bitter taste despite a solid performance. Ninth in the MotoGP championship after eight races, the Moto2 champion shone, but his first major mistake gnawed at him. On the Losail track, Ogura alternated between flashes of brilliance and disappointment, revealing both his potential and the harsh lessons of MotoGP.
Le Qatar Grand Prix could have been a positive step in learningAi Ogura in MotoGP. However, despite an honorable result and valuable points collected under the floodlights of Losail, the Japanese rider TrackHouse Racing left the circuit with his head down, ruminating on what he considers his first real mistake in the premier class.
« I was far from the positions I wanted to achieve in the Grand Prix. 7th or 8th place would have been good. A very big disappointment – and this disappointment is me " he said bluntly. However, on paper, Ogura has nothing to be ashamed of. He finished fifteenth in the main race, in the points, and above all ahead of his teammate Raul fernandezBut for a pilot as perfectionist as him, the slightest misstep takes on disproportionate proportions.
The Saitama native had nevertheless shone in qualifying, putting in an exceptional performance during the Q1 with a masterful lap, half a second faster thanalex rins. Even though the Q2 was less spectacular, he still lined up in tenth position on the grid, alongside Pecco Bagnaia et Peter Acosta. And during the Sprint, he dominated them both to secure a brilliant 7th place.
Ai Ogura: “ For the first time on a MotoGP, I felt helpless »
But on Sunday, the reality of the long distance caught up with him. For the first time in a MotoGP, I felt helpless from the middle of the race. I had no more grip on the front wheel. I had a bad strategy in the first six or seven laps and I made my misfortune. Actually, it was Saturday. I adjusted my riding style to be faster, but this was not the right approach for the long race. I ruined everything »
A clear mea culpa for the man who, in Moto2, was considered a master of tire management. In MotoGP, the rules are much stricter, and the penalties for mistakes much heavier.
Despite everything, the figures speak for themselves: six finishes in the points out of eight races, ninth in the general classification, ahead of veterans and even his rookie peers. The only downside in Qatar: for the first time, his rival Fermin Aldeguer beat him in both races of the weekend. A first that stings pride, but which will undoubtedly serve as fuel for the future.
Ogura is hard on himself, perhaps too much so. But this demand is also the driving force behind his rise. 24 years, he learns quickly – and above all, he doesn't shirk his responsibilities. The sequel promises to be a success.
Course MotoGP of the Grand Prix of Qatar
MotoGP general classification
