“I know why” - Cal Crutchlow explains Ai Ogura-Dani Pedrosa MotoGP comparison

Cal Crutchlow sees similarities between MotoGP’s newest race winner Ai Ogura and former title contender Dani Pedrosa.

The Japanese star climbed to second in the world championship heading into the summer break after a storming run of five podiums in six races, including victory in the Dutch Grand Prix.

Unfortunately for the Trackhouse rider, he has since slipped down the standings after crashing at Silverstone, then missing Aragon due to a fractured hand in a training accident.

“If you asked me anybody other than Marc [Marquez], I would have chosen Ai Ogura [before his injury],” Crutchlow said while commentating on the MotoGP world feed at Aragon.

“I like him, the way he rides. The only downside is he takes a lot longer to get going in races.

“And I also know why this is - very Dani Pedrosa kind of thing, [his] weight.”

Pedrosa, who weighed just 51kg during his racing career, sometimes struggled to generate heat in the tyres.

At 60kg, Ogura is tied with Diogo Moreira as the lightest rider on the current premier-class grid.

Crutchlow, who made a six-round MotoGP return as an injury replacement for Johann Zarco, explained:

“[Ai] doesn't activate the tyres like the other guys in the early stages.

“Then at the end of the race, he saves the tyres so much, he's got so much left compared to the others.

“So it takes him longer to activate the tyres, and that's why he can't push in the beginning.

“In hotter races, he's a lot better, because he can push immediately.

“But you go somewhere like Phillip Island, and it might be a difficult scenario for him, or in rain conditions.”

Ogura slipped to fifth in the world championship, 53 points behind Jorge Martin, after Aragon.

The former Moto2 champion, who will become a factory Yamaha rider next season, hopes to return at Misano next weekend.