A Historic Achievement! Ai Ogura Secures First Top-Class Victory for a Japanese Rider in 22 Years [MotoGP Dutch GP Race Report]

The 10th round of MotoGP, the Dutch Grand Prix, was held at the TT Circuit Assen in the Netherlands from June 26th to 28th.

Ai Ogura (Aprilia), the only Japanese rider competing in the top class, secured second place in the sprint race. Furthermore, he achieved victory in the main race, marking a remarkable feat for a Japanese rider in 22 years (since Makoto Tamada at the 2004 Japanese Grand Prix).

Demonstrating Strength in the Latter Half of the Race to Take the Lead

Ai Ogura (Aprilia) entered the Dutch Grand Prix after securing his second podium finish of the season at the Czech Grand Prix. The venue for the Dutch Grand Prix was the TT Circuit Assen. This is the only circuit that has been continuously held since the start of the Motorcycle World Championship (MotoGP) in 1949, and it is known as the "Cathedral of Road Racing." It is a circuit steeped in tradition.

Ogura favored Assen, a flat and high-speed circuit. He had previously described it as a circuit that suited him well during his Moto2 days.

At Assen, Ogura made a significant leap forward.

Although Ogura narrowly missed out on pole position (1st place) in qualifying, he secured the second-fastest time. He then finished the sprint race in 2nd place. This marks his second top-3 finish in a sprint race this season (and second in the MotoGP class), following his performance at the Czech Grand Prix.

It is worth noting that the front-side holeshot device (ride height adjuster) has been prohibited starting from this Dutch Grand Prix.

In Sunday's main race, Ogura entered the first corner in the lead after the start. However, Jorge Martín, an Aprilia factory rider, quickly moved into the lead. Ogura was then overtaken by his teammate Raúl Fernández, and he settled into third place for several laps. On lap 15, Ogura recorded the fastest lap of the race, 1 minute 32.483 seconds, and began to close the gap on Martín and Fernández ahead of him. Ogura's strength lies in the latter half of the race, where he can maintain his pace without significant drop-off compared to his rivals. Therefore, it is crucial for him to be within a chaseable time gap when others start to slow down.

In this instance, at the end of lap 15, he was 0.555 seconds behind the leader Martín and 0.355 seconds behind second-placed Fernández. He was well within striking distance. Furthermore, while Martín and Fernández had started to lap in the 1 minute 33-second range, Ogura's lap times remained in the 1 minute 32-second range until the final three laps.

Ogura took the lead on lap 20 and crossed the finish line in first place. © MotoGP.com

Calmly Handling Unexpected Activation of the Ride Height Device

One incident that caused Ogura a moment of concern occurred on lap 16. The ride height device activated unexpectedly. Ogura released it during hard braking at the fifth corner (which caused him to run slightly wide), but he calmly continued to chase the two riders ahead.

Ogura explained the situation to MotoGP.com's "After the Flag":

"As I exited the last chicane, I activated the rear ride height device and released it at the first corner. But for some reason, it activated again between the first and third corners. I think I might have accidentally touched a button. Or it could have been another cause, but I believe it was my mistake. I was a bit startled at that moment. Fortunately, I didn't lose too much time."

On lap 18, he overtook Martín, who had dropped to second place, and on lap 20, he passed Fernández, who was leading, to become the race leader. He then crossed the finish line with a 2-second lead over second place, securing his first victory in the MotoGP class.

Ogura had finished third in the French Grand Prix and improved to second place in the previous round at the Czech Grand Prix. On the podium for the third time this season, he achieved the top spot.

This was a remarkable achievement, being the first victory for a Japanese rider in the top class in 22 years, since Makoto Tamada at the Japanese Grand Prix in 2004.

As a result of the Dutch Grand Prix, Ogura has moved up to fourth in the championship standings. He is 25 points behind the championship leader, Martín. With 12 races remaining, this is a points difference that allows for a genuine championship challenge.

However, Ogura remains unfazed. When asked about being considered a championship contender at the post-race top-3 press conference, he calmly replied, "With a 25-point difference, that's usually the case. If the numbers say so, then that's how it is."

A fist pump at the moment of crossing the finish line. The usually calm Ogura couldn't hide his joy. © MotoGP.com

This is the first victory in the top class for a Japanese rider in 22 years. © MotoGP.com

Sharing the joy with the team in Parc Fermé. © Trackhouse Racing

Aprilia Dominates the Podium; Marquez Finishes Seventh

In this race, championship leader Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) suffered a severe crash early on. According to the team's announcement, after examination at the medical center, he was transported to Groningen Hospital. Fortunately, no major injuries were confirmed. However, Bezzecchi has now scored zero points in three consecutive main races and has dropped to second in the standings.

Meanwhile, Aprilia secured a podium sweep. Marc Márquez (Ducati), who had achieved two consecutive victories at the Hungarian and Czech Grands Prix, finished seventh this time. This has caused him to drop to fifth in the standings. Pedro Acosta (KTM), who had been running in sixth place at one point, retired from the race due to issues with his right arm.

The next round, the 11th German Grand Prix, will be held at the Sachsenring in Germany from July 10th to 12th. This will be the final race of the first half of the 2026 season.