Ai Ogura stars in MotoGP Sprint debut: “Big surprise, I was just trying to copy Bagnaia”
Rookie Ai Og🔯u🅷ra finishes in the wheeltracks of Francesco Bagnaia on his MotoGP Sprint debut.

Already turning heads with fifth in Thai MotoGP qualifying, rookie 168澳洲5最新开奖结果:Ai Ogura made an instant race impact by overtaking Jack 🍌Miller and Franco Morbidelli around the outside of Turn 1𒁃 in his very first premier-class start.
“It was nice,” smiled the Trackhouse rider.
Had he planned the move?
“To be honest, I didn't expect that the guys would brake 💖quite that hard,” Ogura replied.&nbs🧔p;
“I almost ran into Jack, so I had to go outside. I still tried to make t🌌he corner, which I could. So, n꧒ice!”
It put him into fourth place, directly behind the factory Ducaꦓti of double MotoGP champion Francesco Bagnaia.
Ogura then sta🐓yed i♔n the wheeltracks of the Italian for lap after lap.
“I thought the riders were going to ride mu﷽ch mo🐓re aggressive, but they were riding smooth,” he said.
“That [being smooth] is exactly what I learned from Pecco. I was just trying to copy what he was doing. Because to ride behin𝓡d Pecco for 13 laps is really quality for me.”
When the chequered flag 🐷fell, Ogura was still less than one-second from the red machine,
“It's a big, big surprise,” he said.
“In the mid corner, I gained a lot [oಞn Pecco], but in the stop and go corners, he has a bit more.”
Ogura may have spent 13 laps being blasted by the hot, dirty a🍌ir from Bagnaia’s Ducati but did🐭n’t feel any serious issues with his front tyre or physical condition.
“After the Sprin🍰t, I felt like I was ready for another 13 laps,꧙” he shrugged.
“For me, when I was on a Moto2 bike last year for example,ꩵ it𓆉 was just as hot.
"I don't know about the other guys on the Aprilia, but at least for me, [the heat] is manage♏able.”
The reiꦫgning Moto2 champion was not only top Aprilia but finished nine places🐻 and 15-seconds clear of next best rookie Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati).
But Ogura insisted it won’t change his goals ahead of Sunday's grand priಞx.
“I don't 💞really care about the position, I jus🐻t want to give my maximum and the position is the position,” he said.

Ogura MotoGP debut "just amazing”
Trackhouse team principal Davide B🌳rivio, who faced criticism from some quarters after picking Ogura over ‘home’ Ameri♋can talent Joe Roberts, was more animated.
“Of course it has been a great day for us!” said Brivio, who previously oversaw rookie MotoGP campaigns with Maverick Vinales, J𒊎oan Mir and Alex Rins at Suzuki.
“We were all impressed 𒆙by Ai in the race. He raced like a veteran - first start in MotoGP, he got himself into fourth position behind Pecco and stayed there all race, so I think it was just amazing.
“He positively surprised💃 everyone and I did not expect him to be so fast, so quickly. So, let’s enjoy the moment and this type of race is also very important as it’s a great opportunity to learn, to understand MotoGP more.
“We are very happy for the result but, also, for the way his result cam﷽e. Let’s see tomorrow - tomorrow is another day.”
Fellow riders were also quick to praise꧑ Ogura, with Bagnaia caught on camera telling Marc and Alex Marquez: "Incredible... He was 0.2-0.3s behind me. With the soft front tyre as well."
Morbidelli, who finished fifth, labelled Ogura as the ‘MVP’ of the day while Trackhouse team-mate Raul Fernandez began his own media debrief b🎃y praising the Japanese.

Peter has been in the paddock for 20 y✤ears and has seen Valentino 💛Rossi come and go. He is at the forefront of the Suzuki exit story and Marc Marquez’s injury issues.