What Marc Marquez privately told Ai Ogura after impressive Thailand Grand Prix performance

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Ai Ogura made a serious impression on his MotoGP debut for Trackhouse Racing at the Thailand Grand Prix.

The Japanese rider had put in some standout performances in pre-season testing on the RS-GP25. Alex Rins could not believe Ogura’s pace during the MotoGP Shakedown in Sepang.

High-ranking Aprilia staff were ‘so impressed’ by Ogura in testing. He gave the manufacturer a sigh of relief after his Trackhouse teammate Raul Fernandez and defending champion Jorge Martin were injured in accidents in Malaysia.

The Moto2 champion continued that momentum from pre-season into the Thailand Grand Prix. Ogura finished a superb fourth in the Sprint race on Saturday.

Incredibly, he was only half a second off of two-time champion Francesco Bagnaia. Ogura was chasing down the Ducati rider, finishing just under half a second from the podium.

Marc Marquez congratulated ‘very good’ Ai Ogura for his Thailand Grand Prix performance

Sylvain Guintoli was stunned by Ogura’s ‘unbelievable’ performance in the Sprint. The 24-year-old continued to hound the frontrunners in the main race on Sunday.

The Trackhouse rider finished the Grand Prix fifth in another standout display. Neil Hodgson was in ‘love with Ogura during the race as he sensed Franco Morbidelli behind him as the VR46 rider looked to overtake.

Morbidelli did pass Ogura for fourth but the latter had still left an impression on MotoGP. Hodgson apologised to Trackhouse as he felt it was a mistake to sign the Japanese rider for the 2025 season.

Davide Brivio congratulated Ogura for his performance – which was echoed by race winner and six-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez. The Spaniard was unstoppable in Buriram but he took time to appreciate the Trackhouse rider’s impressive race.

In a behind-the-scenes video from Ducati, Marquez was heard saying to Ogura in the media pen: “Congratulations. Not bad to start, eh? Very good, believe me!”

Ai Ogura cannot manage one issue with Trackhouse after his MotoGP debut

Despite his solid outing in Thailand, Ogura is still far from the finished product in the premier class. He still has a lot to learn with 21 rounds still to go in 2025.

The 24-year-old was struggling with the brakes in pre-season – but he can learn a lot from his fellow riders. Ogura said he learned a lot from battling Bagnaia on track in Thailand with how to be smooth on the bike.

Ogura ‘can’t’ manage the language barrier at Trackhouse despite his impressive debut. This can be resolved over the season but it could be limiting in the short term in terms of feedback to his engineers.

Nevertheless, Aprilia will be encouraged by the Japanese rider’s performance after a shaky pre-season. With Martin out for the Argentine Grand Prix, they can rest assured knowing Ogura can produce a strong result.