MotoGP championship battle takes huge twist with contender ruled out

The Trackhouse rider, who is third in the riders’ championship, will not take part in the Aragon Grand Prix this weekend after injuring his left hand during training.

Ogura will undergo surgery on Thursday for a thumb fracture and will be replaced by Lorenzo Savadori for Round 13.

A team statement read: “SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider #79 Ai Ogura suffered a left-hand injury while training in Japan.

The news comes at a particularly unfortunate moment for Ogura. The Trackhouse rider is having a strong season and currently sits third in the standings. The 25-year-old also became the first Japanese rider to win a premier-class Grand Prix since 2004 in the Netherlands.

He is 37 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin and just six points behind Marco Bezzecchi. Marc Marquez, in turn, is only three points behind Ogura.

Trackhouse has called up Savadori to fill the vacant seat. The 33-year-old Italian is normally Aprilia’s test rider and has extensive experience as a stand-in on the RS-GP.

For Ogura, the injury means he will have to miss at least one full race weekend at a crucial moment. With both the Sprint on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday, a maximum of 37 championship points are up for grabs in Aragon.

The battle at the top of the standings is particularly tight. Bezzecchi starts the weekend 31 points behind the championship leader, followed by Ogura at 37 points, Marquez at 40, and Fabio Di Giannantonio at 41. That means there are only ten points between second and fifth.

Ogura cannot add anything to his points total in Aragon and is therefore dependent on what his rivals do. Marquez in particular appears to have a strong opportunity on paper to gain ground. The Ducati rider has an exceptional record at the circuit, with seven victories there. In his last two appearances at the Spanish venue, he also took pole position and won both the Sprint and the Grand Prix.

The injury interrupts a strong season for Ogura. Prior to his retirement at Silverstone, the Trackhouse rider had taken three consecutive Grand Prix podiums and a victory in Assen. Even after his crash during the British GP, he remained firmly in the fight at the top of the championship.