Ai Ogura wins Dutch MotoGP for Japan’s first premier-class victory in 22 years

Historic Japanese victory

Ai Ogura took a maiden MotoGP triumph in the Dutch TT at Assen on Sunday, ending a 22-year wait for a Japanese rider at the front of the premier class. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider worked his way forward after a slower start, inherited the lead from teammate Raúl Fernández and pulled clear to win. The last Japanese winner had been Makoto Tamada at Motegi in 2004, 7,952 days earlier. Ogura becomes the seventh rider from Japan to claim a top-class grand prix win.

Trackhouse double

Raúl Fernández, who won Saturday’s sprint race, followed Ogura home to complete a 1-2 for the satellite Trackhouse squad. The performance left the factory Aprilia entries behind and gave Fernández back-to-back rostrum visits across the weekend. Jorge Martín, on a factory Aprilia, rounded out the podium in third.

Bezzecchi crash and championship lead

Marco Bezzecchi’s MotoGP reign lasted only two laps. The Italian, who started the weekend as championship leader, lost the front of his Aprilia at Turn 15 on the second lap and was thrown heavily. He was taken to the medical centre but escaped serious injury. The crash was his third consecutive Sunday retirement and handed the points lead to Jorge Martín.

Márquez penalised after late error

Reigning world champion Marc Márquez made a rapid start from seventh on the grid and climbed to third by lap two. He later dropped behind Ogura and struggled for pace, eventually crossing the line in sixth place. A track-limits infraction at Turn 13 cost him one position after the race, demoting him to seventh. His brother Alex Márquez finished fifth.

Riders on the sidelines

Pedro Acosta’s race ended on lap 14 with a technical problem on his KTM, while Francesco Bagnaia also failed to finish. The retirements compounded a race of high attrition that reshaped the championship order.