News Summary
- Ai Ogura has received medical clearance to participate in FP1 at the Austrian GP
- Doctors will reassess the Trackhouse rider after Friday morning’s session
- Ogura has missed the last two MotoGP rounds following surgery on his left hand
Ai Ogura has been cleared to return to MotoGP action in Free Practice 1 at the Austrian Grand Prix, but his participation in the remainder of the weekend will depend on a second medical assessment.
The Trackhouse rider passed the championship’s mandatory medical examination at the Red Bull Ring on Thursday. Doctors have authorised him to ride in Friday morning’s FP1 before evaluating how his injured left hand responds to the physical demands of the Aprilia RS-GP26.
“For now, they’ve given me the go for tomorrow morning at least,” Ogura said. “My hand condition is quite okay, good enough to ride a bike, so I expect nothing special for this weekend, but it’s good to be back.”
The Japanese rider fractured his left hand near the thumb in a motocross training accident after the British GP. The injury required surgery and forced him to miss the Aragón and San Marino rounds.
Ogura explained that the accident itself was relatively routine, but that he landed awkwardly.
“It was just a normal crash,” he said. “I touched the ground in the wrong way. It was a really unlucky situation.”
Trackhouse initially targeted Austria for Ogura’s comeback after deciding that he had not recovered sufficiently to compete at Misano. The 25-year-old remained in Barcelona to continue his rehabilitation while the team entered only Raúl Fernández at the San Marino GP.
Ogura said the characteristics of Misano also made an earlier return less attractive.
“I wanted to return for Austria,” he explained. “Misano was a bit too early and the track layout is not the best one for coming back from injury.”
Ogura was running third in the riders’ championship when he was injured, having taken his first MotoGP victory at Assen and finished second in the Silverstone Sprint. His two-round absence has since dropped him to sixth on 203 points, 71 behind championship leader Marc Márquez.
The initial clearance is a positive step after Ogura missed the San Marino GP to continue his recovery, but it does not guarantee that he will contest qualifying, the Sprint or Sunday’s race.
Doctors will examine Ogura again immediately after FP1. If he receives full clearance, he will continue with Friday afternoon’s Practice session and the rest of the Austrian MotoGP weekend.
FAQ
When is the next MotoGP race?
The next race is the 2026 Austrian Grand Prix at the Red Bull Ring, taking place from September 18-20. Friday practice begins on September 18, the Sprint takes place on Saturday and the Austrian GP is held on Sunday.
What time is the 2026 Austrian MotoGP?
The Austrian MotoGP starts at 14:00 local time (13:00 UK) on Sunday, September 20. The Sprint starts at 15:00 local time (14:00 UK) on Saturday. GRANDE PRÊMIO has the full Austrian MotoGP schedule and start times for the UK, India, South Africa and Australia.
Who leads the 2026 MotoGP championship before the Austrian GP?
Marc Márquez and Jorge Martín arrive at the Red Bull Ring level on 274 points, with Márquez leading the championship on the Grand Prix wins tiebreaker. Marco Bezzecchi is third, 33 points behind, with 8 rounds remaining.
