Ai Ogura (TrackHouse Aprilia) had everything it took to shine at the Argentine Grand Prix: a crazy comeback from 15th place to 8th, sandwiched between the sharks Brad Binder and Pedro Acosta, 14 seconds behind the boss Marc Marquez. But crash! Disqualified after the race for a faulty software on his RS-GP25, the Japanese rookie lost his points. No cheating, just a technical blunder – Aprilia, in trouble again! A look back at a stinging disappointment.
Le Argentine Grand Prix could have been a great race for Ai Ogura, the Japanese rookie ofAprilia, who made an impressive comeback from 15th to 8th place. Unfortunately, his performance was cancelled following a disqualification due to a technical error related to his bike's control software.
After the race, a technical inspection revealed that theAprilia Ogura was equipped with a control unit that did not comply with the homologation rules. Although it has been established that this error provided no performance advantage on the track, the violation of the rules led to the driver disqualification.
« The penalty after the race is very disappointing, but we have to accept the decision of the commissioners ", said Davide Brivio, team director. “ We are really sorry for Ogura, because it gave him no advantageIt's very frustrating to take points away from him after such a great performance. This doesn't take anything away from what he has accomplished on the track.. It is simply a bad version of the control unit software »
Despite this disqualification, the performance ofOgura was praised by his team and observers. Starting from 15th place, the rookie delivered a spectacular race, overtaking and finishing 8th, just 14 seconds behind the leader Marc Marquez.
Ai Ogura victim of human error that highlights Aprilia's shortcomings
« Ogura made a superb comeback from 15th place to 8th ", commented Brivio. " What we really liked were his battles with many experienced pilots. The overtaking, when it is not easy to do, was very well executed. It was another one excellent weekend for Ai Ogura, despite the starting position. We move forward, we continue to move forward »
This disqualification highlights an understandable human error, but it also underlines the recurring shortcomings ofApriliaThese small technical errors, although without consequences on performance, undermine the credibility of the team and the validity of its means.
Despite this setback, the future looks promising for Ai Ogura. His performance in Argentina demonstrated his talent and ability to compete with experienced drivers. He had a great race, a fantastic comeback, and we will continue to improve. ", concluded Brivio.
With such determination and obvious potential, Ogura et Aprilia have everything they need to shine in the upcoming races, provided they resolve these technical problems and consolidate their structure.
MotoGP, Argentina J3: ranking
