Ogura pulls off stunner to top Czech MotoGP practices / Photo: © AFP
Ogura pulls off stunner to top Czech MotoGP practices
Japan's Ai Ogura set a new track record late in Friday's practice for the Czech GP to top the session ahead of championship leader Marco Bezzecchi.
Ogura, a 25-year-old Trackhouse MotoGP Team Aprilia rider, improved Francesco Bagnaia's track record from 2025 by more than half a second.
Factory Aprilia rider Bezzecchi struggled in the morning practice and only managed 16th, but he bounced back in style to finish the afternoon session less than a 10th of a second behind Ogura.
Ducati rider Fabio Di Giannantonio from the satellite team VR46 finished third in the practice, ahead of two factory Ducati riders, Bagnaia and reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez.
Marquez, who won the last GP in Hungary on a comeback to racing from a foot fracture, recovered from a crash in each practice session on Friday.
The 33-year-old seven-time MotoGP champion won both the sprint and the main race at Brno in 2025.
Bezzecchi tops the overall rankings with 180 points from eight of the season's 22 races, of which he has won four, ahead of Aprilia teammate Jorge Martin with 160.
Di Giannantonio is third with 138 points ahead of Pedro Acosta on a KTM with 132 and Marc Marquez with 108.
(C.Fournier--LPdF)
