Ai Ogura stuns for maiden MotoGP pole in qualifying thriller at Brno
Ai Ogura has taken a first pole position in MotoGP with a new lap record at the Czech Grand Prix
Trackhouse Aprilia’s Ai Ogura stormed to a maiden pole position in MotoGP after blitzing the lap record again in qualifying for the Czech Grand Prix.
The Japanese star set a new lap record on Friday to lead practice on his satellite Aprilia, and smashed his previous benchmark in the pole shootout session on Saturday morning at Brno.
On his final flying lap of Q2, Ai Ogura produced a 1m51.139s to claim a first pole position by 0.211s from VR46 Ducati’s Fabio Di Giannantonio.
He is the first Japanese polesitter since the Teruel Grand Prix in 2020 at Aragon, when Takaaki Nakagami was fastest for LCR Honda.
Prior to Saturday at Brno, Ogura’s best qualifying was fifth in his debut in Thailand last season.
Pecco Bagnaia, last year’s Brno polesitter, was third on the factory team Ducati ahead of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi on the works team Aprilia.
The lap record was already beaten inside the opening laps in the 15-minute Q2 session, with LCR Honda rookie Diogo Moreira posting a 1m51.691s while following Ogura.
This was instantly bettered by Di Giannantonio on a 1m51.643s.
Bagnaia was test this with just under four minutes to go in the session when he went to the top of the timesheets with a 1m51.383s.
But behind him on the circuit, Ogura was lighting up the sector splits and produced a 1m51.139s to set a target that could not be beaten by anyone else through to the chequered flag.
Bezzecchi was ultimately 0.289s from pole on the factory team Aprilia, but team-mate and nearest rival Jorge Martin was only 10th having come through Q1.
Martin also goes into Sunday’s race with a double long lap penalty.
Marc Marquez was fifth on the sister factory team Ducati, with Moreira holding onto sixth as the leading Honda.
Raul Fernandez was seventh on the second of the Trackhouse Aprilias, with Pedro Acosta only eighth on the KTM as he failed to trouble the front row battle.
VR46’s Franco Morbidelli was ninth after coming through Q1 with Martin, while Gresini’s Fermin Aldeguer and Honda’s Joan Mir rounded out the top 12.
Maverick Vinales missed out on a place in Q2 by just 0.033s on his Tech3 KTM, leaving him 13th on the grid ahead of the returning Alex Marquez on the Gresini Ducati.
Fabio Quartararo was top Yamaha in 15th ahead of Honda’s Luca Marini, while Enea Bastianini - who was on the podium at Brno last year - could only manage 17th on the sister Tech3 KTM.
Jack Miller will go from 18th on the Pramac Yamaha ahead of factory counterpart Alex Rins and KTM’s Brad Binder.
Pramac’s Toprak Razgatlioglu, on his first visit to Brno since 2019, and LCR Honda’s Cal Crutchlow complete the field.
However, Razgatlioglu has been given a three-place grid drop for impeding in Q1 and will now start last for Sunday's grand prix.
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