Like Fermin Aldeguer and Somkiat Chantra, Ai Ogura had eight days (six in Sepang and two in Buriram) to discover as much as possible on a MotoGP bike and prepare as best he can for his first race as a rookie in the premier class. As he concludes in Thailand, the Trackhouse rider details his strengths and weaknesses.
The discovery of the Aprilia RS-GP was a smooth one for Ai Ogura, on whom his team put no pressure in terms of objectives for this pre-season. The Japanese was thus able to take the time to discover the secrets of riding a MotoGP at his own pace.
In Malaysia, the reigning Moto2 world champion worked hard on his preparation for the first races of the season. While in Thailand, the #73 focused his training program on the clock, with the aim of preparing for sessions such as Friday practice, as well as qualifying. As he hangs up after these eight days of intense work, the main interested party seems rather satisfied.
"The test was very good, Ai Ogura rejoices at the microphone of MotoGP.com. This morning we improved a lot of things, and I felt a lot better. It's looking good. The first few days I was just doing what I know how to do on the bike, and the team suggested that I work on some aspects. Little by little, we are eliminating the problems, so it's good."
"The plan for the afternoon [this Thursday] is to focus on pure performance, He continues. I have already done two race simulations in Sepang, and it is time to focus on pure performance, and lap time.
Ai Ogura at the Buriram Test © Michelin
Unlike Fermin Aldeguer, who admitted not being particularly comfortable on the Buriram circuit, Ai Ogura explains that he drove on two ideal tracks in order to perfect his learning.
“First of all, I'm not a big fan of cold conditions, so for me it's great to test in Sepang and Buriram, adds the Japanese pilot. It's great to have eight days in Asia. As I said, I think we prepared well, we did a lot of things in testing. After the first race, we can talk. We can see the big picture. So I'll let the first race come to me, and we'll see."
Compared to the Msi Moto2 machine he rode last year, Ai Ogura was impressed by the braking phases of the MotoGP. An area he has struggled with since testing in Sepang, and on which he has only slightly improved during the two additional days of action in Thailand.
“I think for me it’s the biggest difference compared to Moto2, and it’s where I struggle the most. It’s really difficult. On this bike the tyre degrades a lot more than I expected. I have to get used to it, but as I said, this morning I improved my braking a lot. Hopefully I can continue in this direction during the race weekends.” concludes Ai Ogura.
