Ai Ogura will miss this weekend's Aragon Grand Prix after fracturing the first metacarpal of his left thumb during a motocross training session in Japan during MotoGP's summer break.
The injury was diagnosed upon the SuperFile Trackhouse rider's return to Europe, and the fracture required surgery. Ogura was operated on Thursday, August 28, by renowned hand surgeon Dr. Mir in Barcelona, with a stabilisation plate fitted.
"The operation went well," team principal Davide Brivio confirmed at MotorLand Aragon. "Our target is to try to get Ai back for Misano. He broke the first metacarpal on his left thumb. I'm sure Ai will do his best to be back soon."
Test rider Lorenzo Savadori will step in for Ogura at Aragon, having previously served as the Japanese rider's substitute. The decision was made swiftly given the race weekend's imminent start.
The absence is a setback for Ogura's championship ambitions. The 2025 Moto2 world champion sits third in the standings, 37 points behind championship leader Jorge Martin, having claimed his maiden MotoGP victory at Assen in June. Missing Aragon makes his path to the title harder, but the three-week window before Misano (September 12-14) keeps alive the possibility of a swift return.
Ogura had been building momentum in the second half of the season. A broken thumb during the summer break threatens to derail the form that had put him in contention for the championship, though his team insists the recovery timeline is on track for the next round on home soil at Misano.
Sources
- https://www.speedweek.com/en/a/motogp/ogura-injured-misses-aragon-gp
- https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2026/08/26/ogura-withdraws-from-aragon-through-injury-savadori-to-substitute/1086948
