Ogura fastest as Martin’s MotoGP Brno pain gets worse

Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura set a new lap record on the first day of MotoGP’s Czech Grand Prix at Brno, as title chaser Jorge Martin will have to contest Q1.

Martin was already facing a tricky weekend with a double long lap penalty to serve for causing a Turn 1 wipe-out last time out at Balaton Park.

But that was made worse by a tricky Friday as he ended up as the slowest of the four Aprilia riders in 11th, just 0.011s from a place in Q2.

Ogura, who hasn’t started a MotoGP race higher than sixth this year, demonstrated scintillating pace at the end of practice, ultimately firing in a 1m51.735s late in the session to lead Friday’s running.

He was 0.091s faster than championship leader Marco Bezzecchi ahead of the fastest Ducati rider, Fabio Di Giannantonio.

Pecco Bagnaia was fourth on his factory Ducati ahead of team-mate Marc Marquez, who was the pacesetter for much of the session despite crashing in both of Friday’s practice sessions and declining to join the late flurry of late-session flying laps.

Pedro Acosta was the only KTM rider to make it through to Q2 in sixth place ahead of Honda’s Joan Mir, who crashed at Turn 7 in the final moments of the session.

Rookie Diogo Moreira’s strong rookie season continued in eighth ahead of Fermin Aldeguer and Raul Fernandez.

It meant Jorge Martin was the only Aprilia rider not to make it through to Q2 automatically.

Advanced to Q2: Ogura, Bezzecchi, Di Giannantonio, Bagnaia, M. Marquez, Acosta, Mir, Moreira, Aldeguer, Fernandez

Will contest Q1: Martin, Vinales, Marini, Quartararo, A. Marquez, Bastianini, Morbidelli, Miller, Binder, Rins, Razgatlioglu, Crutchlow

Tech3 KTM rider Maverick Vinales, in dire need of a strong weekend with his future in doubt, was looking good for a place in Q2 early on, but ended up 12th.

Fabio Quartararo was the top Yamaha rider in 14th place.

Johann Zarco’s LCR Honda stand-in Cal Crutchlow was once again slowest, this time via an off at Turn 8. He was 2.112s off the pace.

Results

1 Ai Ogura (Trackhouse Aprilia) 1m51.735s
2 Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia) +0.091s
3 Fabio Di Giannantonio (VR46 Ducati) +0.207s
4 Pecco Bagnaia (Ducati) +0.248s
5 Marc Marquez (Ducati) +0.253s
6 Pedro Acosta (KTM) +0.493s
7 Joan Mir (Honda) +0.518s
8 Diogo Moreira (LCR Honda) +0.580s
9 Fermin Aldeguer (Gresini Ducati) +0.585s
10 Raul Fernandez (Trackhouse Aprilia) +0.619s
11 Jorge Martin (Aprilia) +0.630s
12 Maverick Vinales (Tech3 KTM) +0.657s
13 Luca Marini (Honda) +0.689s
14 Fabio Quartararo (Yamaha) +0.798s
15 Alex Marquez (Gresini Ducati) +0.821s
16 Enea Bastianini (Tech 3 KTM) +0.826s
17 Franco Morbidelli (VR46 Ducati) +0.841s
18 Jack Miller (Pramac Yamaha) +0.848s
19 Brad Binder (KTM) +0.864s
20 Alex Rins (Yamaha) +1.285s
21 Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pramac Yamaha) +1.663s
22 Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda) +2.112s