Ai Ogura has admitted that he felt nervous during his debut test in Barcelona, where he shared the track with MotoGP riders.
The Japanese Moto2 World Champion secured a two-year contract with the Aprilia satellite team and is set to make his full-time debut in 2025. His signing has proven to be a masterclass following his recent Moto2 title win.

Ogura got his first taste of MotoGP bikes during the post-season GP test, completing 86 laps on the 2024 RS-GP. Ogura placed second among the three rookies, finishing the day in 21st overall. However, his session wasn’t without incident, as Ogura suffered a minor tip-off at Turn 2 during the opening hours.

Reflecting on his first day in MotoGP, Ogura said:
“Of course, all of these riders make me nervous when I see them on the track, and also the cameras. But it was manageable.”

When asked about the key differences between Moto2 and MotoGP, Ogura highlighted the challenge of using the throttle effectively to stabilize the bike.
“Maybe the throttle—to keep the bike calm and accelerate in a good way—was the most difficult part for me. It’s a bit different,” he explained. “First, I need to fix braking—all the entry part. From when I brake to when I touch the throttle, I need to understand much more. That’s the area I want to address first.”

While MotoGP rookies often struggle to adapt to the power of MotoGP engines and the braking characteristics, Ogura managed to adjust to these challenges.
“It was okay,” he said. “I expected more surprises than I had, but after two or three laps, I was already comfortable with the speed. Not really much difference between steel brakes and carbon brakes. It wasn’t a drama for me.”

Ogura also touched on his physical readiness for the MotoGP challenge, noting that he felt fine after completing 86 laps but plans to intensify his training in order to prepare for longer stints.
“Today, I did 86 laps, and the longest stint was around 10 laps,” he said. “For this track, I was okay and had no problems with my body. But I never did 20 laps in a row today, so we’ll see. Over the winter, I’ll train a bit harder than last year.”

Ogura’s performance and positive attitude mark a promising start to his transition to MotoGP.