Marc Marquez admits one MotoGP rival has left him completely stumped

The nine-time champion went from injury and retirement fears at the start of the season to three wins in four races, and he’s now in the ascendancy.

In fact, Marquez is so experienced in MotoGP that before Silverstone, he was more than happy to pile the pressure on himself.

He said he was the title favourite, and that another crown wouldn’t change his life, but would change those of his rivals.

It was a genius move in mind games, and one that will certainly reverberate around the heads of Marco Bezzecchi and Jorge Martin.

However, there’s one rider Marquez can’t quite get his own head around.

The Spaniard currently sits fourth in the riders’ championship, 40 points off leader Martin, but between them in third is the unexpected figure of Ai Ogura.

The Trackhouse rider is in his second season in the premier class, having won the Moto2 championship in 2024.

In late June, at Assen, Ogura became the first Japanese rider to win a MotoGP Grand Prix since 2004, and it wasn’t much of a surprise.

The 25-year-old had clearly been building up to the moment and has arguably been the most consistent rider of the season, despite probably not being the best.

Ogura has suited his Aprilia-powered bike perfectly, and his smooth racing style has guaranteed points at almost every round, something that can’t be said for his rivals.

That’s a problem for Marquez, who has been keen to highlight how Martin and Bezzecchi’s failures have been crucial in him re-entering the title fight.

Such mind games would be redundant on Ogura, with even Marquez himself admitting he finds the Japanese rider an enigma.

Ogura has become known for short and deadpan media appearances, something that is out of the ordinary in a sport dominated by Spanish and Italian riders.

Sitting down before a recent press conference, Marquez even said of his title rival: "I don't know what he's thinking."

The comment came with a smile and a joke, but was far more telling than all of the psychological battles that have already taken place in 2026.

Ogura is a new challenge for Marquez, and while an uncharacteristic crash last time out at Silverstone may have given clues on how to solve it, seeing the Spanish legend so stumped by a rival is not only unusual, but could be decisive this season.