A frustrated Ai Ogura believes he was on course for a first MotoGP podium until a technical issue ended his stirring United States Grand Prix ride on Sunday.
Ogura had battled to deliver on his potential in qualifying, lining up only 10th on the grid for the 20-lap race. However, as has become his habit in 2026, he put on a remarkable Sunday charge.
This one was a level above those seen at the first two rounds, both of which he finished fifth. He set fastest lap of the race as he worked his way into fourth position on lap 13.
At that point, the flying Trackhouse Aprilia rider had his sights firmly set on the podium - only for his bike to let him down a couple of laps later.
While the Japanese rider wouldn't be drawn on the nature of the issue, his team boss Davide Brivio referred to it as an engine problem.
"Our pace would have been enough to get a podium finish," reflected Ogura. "That was probably the first time that I matched the pace of the rider who won the race. [It was my] best performance so far, I think, yes."
Asked about the specific strengths of the bike that looked on course to make it an Aprilia 1-2-3 before the mechanical failure, Ogura highlighted the machine's stopping power.
"I'm making so much time in the braking," said the 25-year-old, who is in his second season in the premier class. "Today, I think in general the grip was a lot less compared to yesterday, so for me that helps a lot to get a good braking performance.
"The bike gave me a lot of confidence," he added.
The Aprilia also wowed Gresini Ducati rider Alex Marquez after Ogura sliced past him for fifth place. The Spaniard said he only saw the Trackhouse bike for "three corners" before it disappeared out of sight, but it was enough to draw a comparison with his own machine.
"They have a lot of stability, a lot of grip," said Marquez. "It looks like a low bike with a lot of stability and a lot of grip.
"We have many movements; it's difficult to understand to what point you can push and [how long] you will have good grip. So it's [finding] the limit or [controlling] the limit that is so difficult for us at the moment.
"They [Aprilia] are better than us, and we need to keep working."
Photos from United States GP - Sunday
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