Ai Ogura's title problem has taken a severe hit, with the Trackhouse Aprilia rider having undergone surgical procedure on a fractured left thumb in Barcelona, ruling him out of this weekend's Aragon Grand Prix, in response to a Trackhouse assertion. The harm occurred throughout coaching in Japan forward of the spherical, and Trackhouse confirmed that when Ogura arrived in Europe, examinations revealed a fracture near his left thumb severe sufficient to require an operation. Dr. Mir carried out the process on Wednesday morning, plating the fracture.
No restoration timeline has been set, which is the essential element. Trackhouse stated an evaluation of Ogura's situation will probably be revamped the approaching weekend earlier than a rehabilitation plan is established. The group is hopeful he can return for the San Marino Grand Prix in 15 days, however stopped in need of confirming it. "At this stage it’s too early to substantiate," the assertion learn. Within the meantime, Aprilia take a look at rider Lorenzo Savadori steps in aboard the RS-GP for Aragon, lining up alongside Raul Fernandez, who took a win at Silverstone. "We want Ai a speedy restoration and are grateful for Lorenzo's settlement to deputise at such quick discover," Trackhouse stated.
The timing stings given the place Ogura sits within the championship after 12 rounds – third, 37 factors behind chief Jorge Martin and 6 factors off Marco Bezzecchi. That podium place is precarious, although, with Marc Marquez, Fabio di Giannantonio and Fernandez all inside 19 factors, which means Ogura may realistically drop to sixth by the top of the Aragon weekend whereas watching from the sidelines.
It has been a breakout second MotoGP season for the Japanese rider: he claimed his maiden victory at Assen earlier this 12 months, a outcome that pushed him firmly into title competition, and backed it up with three additional grand prix podiums plus three dash rostrums. His Silverstone crash marked solely his second DNF of the marketing campaign and his first race fall of 2026; he additionally retired from the US Grand Prix with a podium in sight, sidelined by a technical problem on his Aprilia. There's a merciless sample right here, too, as that is the second 12 months operating that Ogura has missed the Aragon spherical by means of harm, having sat out the 2025 occasion with a leg harm.
Ogura's future is already set: he strikes to the manufacturing unit Yamaha squad for 2027, the place he’ll companion present Aprilia rival Jorge Martin in one of many greatest surprises of the rider market. Trackhouse, in the meantime, has retained Fernandez and signed Enea Bastianini to finish its line-up.
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