Ai Ogura, just shy of the podium at Mugello: "I'm very happy with this result"

In the closing laps of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix at Mugello, Ai Ogura closed in on Pecco Bagnaia in an attempt to overtake him on the final corner. However, the Italian intelligently resisted to maintain his podium position and salvage some pride for Ducati on home soil.

The Japanese driver from Trackhouse, who started with doubts about his pace, nevertheless delivered a remarkable race. I'm very happy with this result, especially considering I wasn't feeling particularly fast this weekend. " he confided after the finish. The key to his performance? A controlled start and exemplary resource management." I had a good start and my handling of the first few corners was really good. After that, my pace was significantly better than the drivers around me, especially in the final part of the race. »

Ogura waited patiently behind the leading group for a long time before raising his voice. When I saw Fabio (Di Giannantonio) drop back, I chose that moment to attack.he explains. A deliberate strategy, based on preserving the tire: It all depends on when you choose to use it. Their strategy was to get ahead early, mine was to preserve the tire and save something for the end. It's a two-way street. »

Regarding his overtaking attempt on the last lap, the Trackhouse driver acknowledged the limitations of the maneuver. I figured that if I just finished behind without trying, it wouldn't really make sense. So I gave it a shot. »

Next appointment for the MotoGP : Sunday, June 7 at the Balaton Park Circuit, for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

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