Trackhouse Aprilia rider Ai Ogura is now uncertain to continue racing at the British Grand Prix weekend after sustaining a right knee injury during a crash in the first practice session (FP1) on Friday morning at Silverstone. The Japanese rookie missed the afternoon practice as his medical team assessed his condition and determined his fitness for the following day.
Details of the Crash and Immediate Impact
Ogura described the incident as a result of
“wrong timing, the wrong amount of push”
while attempting to improve his lap time on the second run. After the fall, he noticed discomfort in his right knee, which forced the decision to skip further practice on Friday afternoon to allow for recovery. Ogura remains hopeful that rest overnight will improve his condition enough to compete in Saturday’s sessions.
For now, I will just do what I can and see what happens with my body. Hopefully, it’s going to be better [tomorrow].
—Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing rider
Career and Season Context for Ai Ogura
This marked Ogura’s sixth crash of the MotoGP season across all sessions, roughly matching the sport’s average fall frequency. He began the year strongly, securing a second-row qualifying position at the Thailand Grand Prix, finishing fourth in the sprint, and placing fifth in the main race. However, his subsequent rounds have been more challenging.
Notably, at the Argentina round, Ogura was disqualified due to a software technicality despite competitive race performance. Still, he has completed every contested race since and achieved top-10 finishes in three of the last four grands prix. Qualifying has become tougher with only one Q2 entry post-Thailand in 2025.
Consequences of Missing Practice and Next Steps
Ogura’s absence from Friday’s afternoon session means that, if fit, he will need to start Saturday in Q1, which is a less favorable position for progressing to main qualifying rounds. His participation in the rest of the British GP depends entirely on his knee’s recovery overnight, adding uncertainty to his weekend and the team’s strategy moving forward.
