Ai Ogura claimed the pole position during qualifying for the MotoGP at Automotodrome Brno in the Czech Republic. Riding the Superfile Trackhouse Aprilia RS-GP26 on the dry 3.36-mile (5.40 km) track, Ogura turned 1:51.139. He not only bested the 22-rider field, but set his own 2026 all-time lap record of 1:51.735 in Friday afternoon’s practice session.
Fabio Di Giantantonio took the third and final front row position with a 1:51.350 on the Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Francesco Bagnaia with a 1:51.383 on the Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26.
Row two qualifiers included Aprilia Racing’s Marco Bezecchi (1:51.428), Bagnaia team-mate Marc Marquez (1:51.436) and Pro Honda LCR’s Diogo Moreira (1:51.691).
More from the MotoGP press release:
Ogura breaks Brno lap record for maiden MotoGP pole. #79 continues his charge in Chechia with Di Giannantonio and Bagnan leading the front row at Brno.
Can anyone stop Ai Ogura in Brno? The SuperFile Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider was fastest on Friday to take the first pole position in MotoGP before breaking the lap record again on Saturday morning. His 1:51.139 was more than two-tenths clear of Fabio Di Giannantonio (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team), with Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) another 0.033 adrift in third. Ogura is the sixth different pole sitter this season and the first Japanese pole from the 2020 Teruel GP.
Here’s how it’s done in the Czech Republic.
Q1: Martin makes it count
Jorge Martin (Aprilia Racing) is fit to ride but a little worse for wear after a crash at the Hungarian GP this weekend, which saw the 2024 world champion drop in Q1 following Friday’s action. However, Franco Morbidelli (Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team) eased into the second qualifying session, setting a top Q1 of 1:51.819.
That’s Maverick Viñales (Red Bull KTM Tech3) from Q2 just one thousandth ahead of Alex Marquez (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) who returned to start #12 in P13. An incident between Torak Razgatliouglu (Prima Pramac Yamaha MotoGP) and Enea Bastianini (Red Bull KTM Tech3) saw the Italian ride on track after feeling a dislocated thigh, which was spotted by the FIM MotoGP Stewards, who then gave the Turkish rider a three-place grid penalty for Sunday. After a strong session anyway, that drops him behind Castrol Honda LCR’s Cal Crutchlow.
Q2: Ogura is irrelevant
The grid was unpredictable before the session and after the first races Diggia was ahead of Diogo Moreira (Pro Honda LCR) and Ogura on provisional pole, but several red sectors lit up the timesheet.
The first of the improvers was Bagnaia, who set the lap on fire to shave a quarter of a second off Digia’s previous best lap time. Then came Marc Marquez (Ducati Lenovo Team), who came in half-tenths ahead of his team-mate, before the graphics lit up in another red-red-red: Ogura. With just two minutes left in the session, he was impressive, putting the Japanese rider on pole position by more than two tenths. Can anyone hit back?
Di Giannantonio was next to put a quick one but Ogura could not fire, he just put Bagna in the second as he edged it down to third. As the track went quiet, it seemed like a deal had been struck that no one could coordinate an attack on the front row. The remaining question seems to be Marc Marquez, but the #93 also rolled his attempt at the end. That was it: Ogura was left without a competitor in Bruno.
Grids
Behind the top three of Ogura, Digia and Bagnaia, championship leader Marco Bezecchi (Aprilia Racing) takes fourth place at the head of the second row. He’s got Marc Marquez with him in P5. The row ended with Moreira.
The second Superfile Trackhouse MotoGP team machine, Raul Fernandez, who has been suffering from some ailments entering the lap, is leading the 3rd row in seventh place, ahead of Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) who will be firing a lot after the lights go out for the race. Morbidelli takes P8 after coming through Q1, changing the order and the #21 now starts ahead of the rider who had the first qualifying session: Martin. The #89 has a direct trip to the final in the Tissot Sprint, but has two long-lap penalties for an incident at Turn 1 in Hungary on Sunday.
Fermin Aldeguer (BK8 Gresini Racing MotoGP) takes P11 ahead of Joan Mir (Honda HRC Castrol), with Vinales, Alex Marquez and Fabio Quatararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoG) completing the row.
That’s what it’s like to qualify – when the grid is set to deliver some spectacular performances in Bruno. Can Ogura change the pole? The Lord of Tire Life – or as Marco Bezecchi put it on Friday, the “pain in the ass” now starts before the rest… Tune in on Saturday at 15:00 for the Tissot Spreaks and on Sunday at 14:00 for the Grand Race!
Qualified Results: Monster Energy Doctor of Chechnya
Post MotoGP: Ogura on pole position in the Czech Republic It appeared at first Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle riding, racing and technology news.
 track, Ogura turned a 1:51.139. Not only was that good enough to top the 22-rider field, it also eclipsed his own 2026 All-Time Lap Record of 1:51.735, set during Friday afternoon’s practice session. Fabio Di Giannantonio was the best of the rest with a 1:51.350 on his Pertamina Enduro VR46 Racing Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26, and Francesco Bagnaia claimed the third and final spot on the front row with a 1:51.383 on his Lenovo Team Ducati Desmosedici GP26. Row-two qualifiers included Aprilia Racing's Marco Bezzecchi (1:51.428), Bagnaia's teammate, Marc Marquez (1:51.436) and Pro Honda LCR's Diogo Moreira (1:51.691). More from a press release issued by MotoGP: Ogura smashes Brno lap record for maiden MotoGP pole. The #79 continues his charge in Czechia, heading Di Giannantonio and Bagnaia on the front){kind=link}