Ai Ogura clear on “big target” for MotoGP 2026

Ai Ogura insists he doesn’t have specific results in mind for his second MotoGP season.

But one “big target” is firmly on the former Moto2 world champion’s radar: Qualifying.

The Japanese had an average grid position of just 16th during his rookie season with Trackhouse Aprilia.

Ogura’s best qualifying, of fifth, came on his Buriram MotoGP debut - where he went on to deliver the best rookie performance since Marc Marquez with fourth place in the Sprint and fifth in the Thai Grand Prix.

Crashes and injuries also derailed his efforts, but Ogura is now back to full fitness and ready to start 2026 pre-season testing at Sepang from February 3-4.

“For 2026, I think I can be a bit more confident on the bike,” said Ogura, whose new race liveries were unveiled today (Wednesday).

“After I experienced my rookie season in MotoGP, everything is hopefully a bit more under control this year.

“We’ll see how it goes but the first test is going to be very important as, for sure, one of the big targets this season will be the grid positions.

“Last season, we could be competitive during the race, but the grid position has usually not been the best and we really need to work on that, especially during the test days.

“I’m sure we can improve our starting positions a bit, and hopefully we can be better at most races.

“I don’t have a specific target for 2026, but I want to do my best in all the races - that is the target.”

Ogura and team-mate Raul Fernandez will race in Gulf colours for five events this season, including the Thai season opener from February 27-March 1.