Ai Ogura has explained his close fight with Marc Marquez during the Malaysian Grand Prix sprint race. The Japanese rider also made it clear that he was not following any team orders from Aprilia. The Trackhouse rider made an excellent start from fourth on the grid and quickly moved up to second. He overtook both Pedro Acosta and Marquez to gain two positions. However, Ogura ran wide while braking for the opening corner. This gave Marquez a chance to fight back.
Marc Marquez vs Ai Ogura: Trackhouse rider explains wheel-to-wheel fight in Malaysia
Marc Marquez vs Ai Ogura made contact at different points during the opening lap: The two riders touched wheels in the second part of the first corner and again while approaching Turn 2. Marquez had to slow down during the second incident and lost a position to Acosta, who eventually won the sprint. The fight between Ogura and Marquez continued later in the race. Both riders exchanged positions several times while battling for second place. However, Marquez eventually managed to move ahead and hold on to his position.Ogura, meanwhile, finished fourth. He missed out on a podium finish after losing the final spot to factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi.ID@undefined Caption not available.
Ai Ogura denies Aprilia team orders
After the sprint, Marc Marquez spoke about his battle with Ai Ogura. The Ducati rider knew that overtaking the Japanese racer would not be easy, especially with Marco Bezzecchi close behind them.Marquez also explained why the situation was important for Ogura, who was fighting for a podium finish.He said, “When I saw that I was third, Bezzecchi fourth, and Ai second, I knew that it would be tough,” Marquez said. “Because the paddock is small and I know that if I overtook him, he would lose the podium because he cannot be between me and Bezzecchi.”ID@undefined Caption not available.Marquez’s comments led to a question about whether Aprilia had asked Ogura to help Bezzecchi in his championship fight.However, Ogura dismissed the suggestion and gave a simple answer when asked if he had received any such instructions. “No”.
Ai Ogura opens up about Marc Marquez battle
Ai Ogura said he had to fight hard to protect his position against Marc Marquez. He also admitted that the Ducati rider had better pace.“I gained a few positions after the start. There was a little bit of a battle [with] Marc,” he recalled.“We both arrived in the same corner, side by side so many times. I have to defend my position. I know he got a better pace than me, so he wanted to pass me. We just arrived in the corner like this so many times. For sure, I tried to defend my position. It was a bit messy, but he beat me at the end,” he added.Ogura later took the lead after polesitter Alex Marquez crashed at Turn 14 on lap three.The Japanese rider managed to stay ahead for several laps. However, light rain started falling at different parts of the circuit, making conditions difficult for the riders.Ogura eventually lost his advantage as the riders behind him found more speed.
Rain makes things difficult for Ai Ogura
The Trackhouse rider admitted that he did not have enough pace to fight for the sprint victory in the changing conditions.“When it was already raining, I led for a few laps. I was surprised that Pedro didn’t overtake me. I said, ‘maybe my pace is quite okay’. I kept going, but at the end they were much faster and I was slower,” he said.“My pace was kind of stuck. I had no reference in the front. I was doing my lap by my own, and my pace kind of stuck. The three riders behind me were just faster, and they all passed me. It’s difficult to manage that kind of situation,” he added.Also read: “A punch in the stomach”: Jack Miller fumes over Phillip Island MotoGP cancellation