Like he's crashing every corner': Winner's signature style, star set for surgery, Aussie 'treading water' - MotoGP Talking Points

Ai Ogura’s maiden MotoGP win at the Netherlands Grand Prix on Sunday marked a rare milestone for Japanese riders, the first since Makoto Tamada won at Motegi for Honda in 2004. The 25-year-old—described as quiet and level-headed—said the moment felt “just good,” after years of pushing through a 2025 rookie season that included an injury-hit 16th-place finish. Ogura’s rise followed strong results in the Czech Grand Prix and at Assen, where he qualified second, won the sprint in both explanation and expectation, and then finally converted that pace into a win. His race strategy centered on managing tyres early before accelerating late, a pattern that surprised rivals. Jorge Martin, an Aprilia rider and 2024 world champion, commented that Ogura appeared to be crashing every corner while the bike stayed straight, even as he denied copying the method. The article also notes an early clash with Raul Fernandez that shuffled Ogura down to sixth.