Ai Ogura celebrated his maiden MotoGP podium as Aprilia locked out the rostrum at Le Mans.
Ogura has shown flashes of brilliance since stepping up to MotoGP in 2025. The Japanese rider secured several strong results during his rookie campaign but narrowly missed out on a maiden podium finish.
However, Ogura finally ended Japan’s long wait for a MotoGP podium at the 2026 French Grand Prix.
Starting from the middle of the third row, Ogura climbed two positions on the opening lap to move into sixth place.
By Lap 3, the Trackhouse Aprilia rider had slipped to seventh after being overtaken by eventual race winner Jorge Martin.
A failed move on Fabio Quartararo then dropped Ogura to eighth, with Joan Mir taking advantage of the mistake.
But the 25-year-old responded impressively, steadily working his way back through the field and returning to sixth by the end of Lap 10.
It was in the closing stages where Ogura truly came alive. He moved into fourth on Lap 20 before snatching third place three laps later.
Ogura rapidly closed on the factory Aprilias ahead, but ultimately ran out of time to challenge for more.
At the chequered flag, Ogura secured his maiden MotoGP podium — and Japan’s first in the premier class since Katsuyuki Nakasuga at Valencia in 2012.
After the Grand Prix of France, Ogura told Speedweek: “I had difficulties in the early stages. Although my pace was good from the start, the feeling wasn’t ideal; I wasn’t driving very cleanly, for example, I went wide after the manoeuvre on Fabio.
“My feeling for the front wasn’t good at that point, but it improved towards the end.”
“I think we really got the best out of it, maybe if the race had gone on for another three laps, but no – that was the maximum.
“But even so, third place means a lot to me and to my country as well. I’m especially happy for my team.
“They’ve long believed I could achieve a podium finish, and I would have loved to give it to them back in the USA, but now it’s finally happened!”
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