He did it! Honestly, we all knew it was coming, and Assen was a good opportunity, but to do it this way is really impressive. Ai Ogura joins the club of Grand Prix winners after this weekend, and there are several key takeaways.
On another planet
I don't have much to say about his performance itself, as we all saw the same thing. As has been the case for the last few races, the Japanese driver is better in qualifying. And as his impressive pace suggested, Starting higher up the grid helps him considerablyThere at Assen, he was second at the Q2 checkered flag presentation, so everyone was on notice. And besides, the fact that he finished second in the Sprint behind his teammate Raul Fernandez seemed like further proof, because we know his ability to manage tires and accelerate at the end, when others are struggling. That's exactly what happened on Sunday.
How long had it been since Kushitani last won in MotoGP? Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Ogura didn't get off to a great start, but managed to hold his own in the pack. As usual, he came back from way back, this time from Raul Fernandez and Jorge Martin. A problem arose with Ride Height Virginwhich, in the end, only cost him a second. He managed to keep his composure, refocus, and catch up with the two men in front of him. This means that he was quite clearly superior to his rivals; in fact, it wasn't even close.I wanted to observe his overtaking maneuvers more closely, as it's an area where I expected him to improve. But again, he handled it well, without pushing himself too hard. Hats off to him.
For me, only two drivers have been excellent since the start of the season. MotoGP without interruption: Fabio Di Giannantonio and Ai OguraBoth have had their share of bad luck (Austin for the Trackhouse driver and Hungary for "Diggia"), but they are the only two who impress at every outing, who manage, regardless of the conditions, to salvage significant points. They haven't won many, admittedly, but they are now well-positioned in this title race. Yes, granted, their chances are slim, but if the year continues to be so unpredictable, and injuries plague the less consistent drivers, So I wouldn't be surprised if one or both of them finish in the top 3 of the championship.
Ai Ogura, Assen, and Aprilia, the perfect combo
Far be it from me to take anything away from Ogura's merit, but intellectual honesty compels us to mention the dominance of the Aprilias this weekend. Honestly, it was unprecedented for the Noale-based firm: the gap had never been so wide compared to other motorcycles. We knew the RS-GP bikes particularly loved long, flat braking zones and seemingly endless corners. But to this extent… the price tag is likely to be just as steep at Silverstone, a circuit that shares many characteristics with Assen and where Aprilias have always been strong.
We must also congratulate Raul Fernandez, who had a very good Grand Prix. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
In qualifying, the four RS-GP cars occupied the top four positions, something that, to our knowledge, had never happened before. In the Sprint, it took Fabio Di Giannantonio and his innate overtaking skills to separate the Trackhouse drivers from the factory drivers. On Sunday, it was even less crowded.Apart from Marco Bezzecchi, who is going through an extremely difficult period – and about whom I will, of course, speak again – MartinFernandez and Ogura were playing in a completely different league.
The gap between the "Martinator," in third place, and Di Giannantonio, in fourth, exceeded seven seconds with a few laps to go.Even with Ducati, it had been a long time since that had happened. When you combine the superiority of the Aprilia package, the know-how of Davide Brivio/Trackhouse – a team that clearly dominated the factory – and the strength of Ai Ogura when the intense heat forces our heroes to be very careful with their tires, his victory was almost inevitable.
Marc Marquez is too humble to say it, but I genuinely think that, since the beginning of the year, the RS-GP has been better than the Desmosedici. Some Ducati riders are still in contention because their counterparts at Aprilia have carelessly dropped a lot of points, but from a technical standpoint, I am convinced that Marquez or Acosta would easily lead the championship if they had this package.
I'm curious to know what you thought of Ogura's first victory. Tell me in the comments!
As a reminder, this article only reflects the thoughts of its author, and not of the entire editorial team.
It doesn't make much noise, but it's formidable on the track. Photo: Michelin Motorsport
Cover photo: Michelin Motorsport
