Ogura ready for home challenge as Asian tour begins

MotoGP enters a decisive stretch with five races in 35 days across Japan, Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia and Qatar — a demanding Asian tour that could shape the title fight. For Ai Ogura, it begins at home. Fresh off a fourth place in Austria, the Japanese rider hopes Motegi will bring another step forward. He joked about last year’s Q1 exit but recalled being strong there in Moto2, even if MotoGP remains a different challenge. Ogura doesn’t expect home advantage to change much, except for one factor he welcomes: the heat. High temperatures across Asia, he said, could play in his favor.

Raul Fernandez arrives from his worst weekend of the season and sees Motegi as a chance to rebound. He praised the track’s grip and flow, highlighting corners 6, 7, 8 and 10 as his favorites, while noting Turn 11 as the most demanding due to its late braking and long preceding straight.