MotoGP German Grand Prix Race Report: Ai Ogura Achieves Another Feat with Second Place, Securing Consecutive Podiums for a Japanese Rider for the First Time in 24 Years

The 11th round of MotoGP, the German Grand Prix, was held at the Sachsenring in Germany from July 10th to 12th.

Ai Ogura (Honda), the only Japanese rider competing in the top class, finished fourth in the sprint race. In the main race, he secured a podium finish in second place. This marks the first time a Japanese rider has achieved three consecutive podium finishes since Toru Ukawa (then Honda) in 2002.

Sachsenring: Marc Marquez's Stronghold. Ogura on Thursday: "My Goal is Top 6"

The German Grand Prix was the final race of the first half of the 2026 season. The Sachsenring, the venue, is the shortest circuit on the MotoGP calendar and one of only six left-handed circuits. Its layout is characterized by an extreme number of left-hand corners, with 10 left turns compared to just 3 right turns.

The rider who excels at this Sachsenring is Marc Marquez (Ducati), a seven-time MotoGP class champion, including in 2025. While Marc Marquez was the favorite, attention was also drawn to Ai Ogura (Honda), who had achieved podium finishes and a victory in the two preceding races, the Czech Grand Prix and the Dutch Grand Prix.

However, Ogura himself stated the following at a press conference on the Thursday before racing began (riders who are expected to perform well or are currently in the spotlight are summoned to these press conferences. Ogura is now a rider drawing attention in the MotoGP class).

"My goal for this weekend is the top 6."

In reality, the outcome pleasantly defied Ogura's goal set on Thursday.

Main Race After Addressing "Issues" in the Sprint

Marc Marquez was indeed dominant throughout the weekend. He set an all-time lap record in Saturday's qualifying to secure pole position and went on to win the 15-lap sprint race.

Ogura secured fifth place in qualifying. He finished the sprint race in fourth position. However, this sprint race seemed to be a turning point. In a post-race interview with MotoGP.com, Ogura commented, "I guess I was lucky. I had a problem with the front tire in the sprint race, so we worked on that issue during the warm-up (on Sunday morning). I think I managed the front tire particularly well today (in the main race)."

In Sunday's main race, Marc Marquez took the lead right from the start and continued to lead until the finish.

Meanwhile, behind him, several riders retired due to crashes. Particularly significant was the crash of Alex Marquez (Ducati), Marc Marquez's younger brother. Alex Marquez was running in second place before his crash. Ogura, who was running in fourth at the time, moved up to third following Alex Marquez's incident.

Furthermore, on lap 25, near the end of the race, Ogura overtook Raul Fernandez (Honda), his teammate, who had started to lose pace, to move into second position. Fernandez was reportedly suffering from back pain in the latter stages of the race.

Ahead of Ogura, who had moved into second, Marc Marquez had already built a lead of over 2.5 seconds. Although Marquez slowed his pace in the closing laps, Ogura asked him during a casual chat in the pre-podium room, "Could you have gone faster?" (Marc Marquez replied, "I wonder"). Marquez might have been riding with a margin, but the answer remains solely with him. Regardless, Marc Marquez secured his 10th victory at his favorite Sachsenring.

Ogura crossed the finish line in second place. Considering Marc Marquez's dominance, second place is undoubtedly an excellent result. Ogura himself showed a fist pump at the moment of the checkered flag and stated, "Both the sprint and the main race were much better results than I expected."

With this second-place finish, Ogura achieved three consecutive podium finishes (Czech GP, Dutch GP, German GP), a feat not seen by a Japanese rider since Toru Ukawa (then Honda) in 2002. Following his podium finish at the French Grand Prix, the first for a Japanese rider since Katsuyuki Nakasuga at the 2012 Valencia GP, and his victory at the Dutch Grand Prix, the first for a Japanese rider since Makoto Tamada at the 2004 Japanese GP, Ogura is rewriting the records.

The meaning of securing a second-place podium at the German GP, where the goal was "Top 6," must be significant. ©Trackhouse Racing

Ogura Moves Up to Second in the Championship Standings

The German Grand Prix results have shifted the championship standings.

Jorge Martin (Aprilia) remains at the top of the standings, but Ogura has moved up to second place, 14 points behind, and Marc Marquez is in third place, 18 points behind.

Marco Bezzecchi (Aprilia), who was second in the standings before the German GP, suffered a crash in qualifying and fractured his left collarbone, forcing him to miss the sprint and main races. As a result, Bezzecchi finished the German GP with no points and dropped to fourth in the standings.

Fabio Di Giannantonio (Ducati), who was third in the standings, also retired due to a crash in the main race, finishing with no points and dropping to fifth in the standings.

The points difference from fifth-placed Di Giannantonio to the top is 24 points. The championship remains fiercely contested as the season reaches its halfway point, with Ogura now among the top five.

Following the German Grand Prix, MotoGP enters its summer break. The season will resume with the British Grand Prix. The 12th round, the British Grand Prix, will be held at Silverstone Circuit from August 7th to 9th.

Marc Marquez celebrating his 10th victory at Sachsenring. ©MotoGP.com

The top 3 at the German Grand Prix. ©MotoGP.com