Why Ai Ogura turned down Honda before his MotoGP breakthrough

Ai Ogura’s path to MotoGP took an unexpected turn in 2023, when he declined the opportunity to join Honda despite progressing through its development system. In an exclusive interview with portal Crash at the Indonesian Grand Prix, the Japanese rider explained that he simply did not feel ready.

“I wasn’t ready for MotoGP,” Ogura admitted, highlighting his desire to secure a world championship before moving up.

That decision proved rewarding. After switching to MT Helmets-MSI for 2024, he captured the Moto2 title before joining Trackhouse Racing in MotoGP the following season.

His progress continued with a landmark victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, making him Japan’s first MotoGP race winner since 2004. In 2027, Ogura will join Yamaha’s factory team alongside Jorge Martin, embracing the challenge of helping rebuild the manufacturer’s competitiveness.

Ogura says his priority remains delivering maximum performance and providing useful technical feedback to Yamaha engineers.