Japan’s Ogura smashes own track record to take Czech MotoGP pole

PRAGUE: Aprilia rider Ai Ogura smashed his own track record to earn his maiden pole position for the Czech MotoGP in Brno on Saturday.

Japan’s Ogura, a 25-year-old Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider, topped Friday’s practices, improving the track record by over half a second in the Czech Republic’s second city.

In Saturday’s scorching heat, he shaved six tenths of a second off that time to claim the first MotoGP pole position of his career.

“The lap was very nice, to be honest I didn’t expect that I go fast that much. Anyway it’s good to have one fast lap, especially on a Saturday morning,” said Ogura.

“We’ll see this afternoon and tomorrow, it will be a long race so we’ll see.”

Italy’s Fabio Di Giannantonio of Ducati-VR46 finished second more than two tenths of a second behind Ogura, with factory Ducati rider Francesco Bagnaia completing the front row.

Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi on a factory Aprilia finished fourth while reigning MotoGP world champion Marc Marquez took the fifth spot on the grid after completing a single lap in qualifying.

Bezzecchi tops the overall rankings with 180 points from eight of the season’s 22 races, of which he has won four, ahead of Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin with 160.

Di Giannantonio is third with 138 points ahead of Pedro Acosta on a KTM with 132 and Marc Marquez with 108.

The Czech MotoGP continues with the sprint on Saturday afternoon before the main race on Sunday.