MotoGP Italy GP Race Report: Ai Ogura Finishes 4th, 0.034sec. from Podium. Aprillia makes a breakthrough at Mugello.

The Italian GP, the seventh round of MotoGP, was held at the Mugello circuit in Italy from May 29 to 31. For the 2026 Italian GP, Aprilia set the fastest speed and all-time lap record, took pole position, and won the sprint race and the final race. It was a week dominated by Aprilia. One of the Aprilia riders, Ai Ogura, made a spectacular comeback in the final race. Ogura started from 13th position and finished 4th, only 0.034 seconds behind the podium.

50th Anniversary of MotoGP in Mugello

Located in the Tuscany region of central Italy, the Mugello Circuit is situated in a basin surrounded by mountains. Spectators blast their engines during the day and until midnight. I have heard that some people even bring their own chainsaw engines just to make noise. In any case, they are enjoying the race week in a jovial and passionate manner. The Mugello Circuit first hosted the World Road Race Championship in 1976, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the event. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the first road race held at Mugello Circuit in 1976, and the 40th in terms of the number of events held. Alex Marquez (Ducati) and Johann Zarco (Honda) were absent from the Italian GP. The two riders were injured in a crash at the Catalunya GP. Test rider Michele Pirro and Cal Crutchlow will replace Alex Marquez and Zarco, respectively. Also returning was 2025 champion Marc Marquez (Ducati). Marc Marquez crashed in the French GP sprint race and has been recuperating from a fracture of the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot, which he suffered during the crash, and from a long-planned surgery on his right shoulder.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ducati and the 50th anniversary of the World Road Racing Championship at Mugello, the Ducati Renovo Team will be competing in special colors©Ducati

Ai Ogura, 0.034 seconds ahead of the podium contenders

Ai Ogura (APRILIA) was in contention for the podium until the very end of the 2026 Italian Grand Prix held at the Mugello circuit. Ogura finished 13th in Saturday's qualifying (Q1), starting from a somewhat difficult position. However, he made a good start in the final race, moving up to 7th on the first lap. This was one of the key points in this race. For a while, Ogura lapped behind the three riders fighting for fourth position, Marc Marquez, Pedro Acosta (KTM), and Fermin Aldeguer (Ducati). Ogura's race was not until the last laps of the race when he made his move. Ogura was pushing hard, and by lap 19, with five laps to go, he had set a time of 1:46.930. By this time, the lap times of the riders around him, including leader Marco Beczecki (APRILIA), had already dropped into the 1:47 range, and only Fabio di Gianantonio (DUCATI), who was close behind Ogura, was running a pace close to Ogura's. Ogura then moved up to fourth on lap 20. Going into the final lap, the gap between Francesco Bagnoia (Ducati) in third and Ogura in fourth was 0.9 seconds. Normally, this would be a large gap. However, Bagnaia's lap time was already about 1 second slower than Ogura's. Bagnoia said in an interview in parc ferme that he had been struggling with rear tire grip on the last lap (and probably even before that). Ogura closed the gap to Bagnoia on the last lap, and with four corners to go, the gap was finally less than a tenth of a second. He was within striking distance. Ogura tried to overtake Bagnoia on the braking for the final corner. But Bagnoia, a local Italian rider, knew Ogura was going to make a move there, and he got ahead of him on the exit. Unfortunately, Ogura had to settle for fourth at the checkered flag. The gap to Bagniaia in third place, however, was only 0.034 seconds.

Aprilia's Breakthrough Stands Out in Mugello

It must also be mentioned that Aprilia's performance was outstanding at this year's Italian GP. The Mugello circuit has a long main straight, 1.141 km long. The fastest top speed ever recorded on this circuit was 366.1 km/h (same time in 2023 and 2024); in 2026, the final year of the 1000 cc MotoGP machines, this record was broken. The record was set by Jorge Martin (Free Practice 2) and Beczecki (Sprint Race), both Aprilia riders clocking 368.6 km/h. The all-time lap record was also set by Beczecki (1:43.921) to take pole position. Ogura's teammate Raul Fernandez (APRILIA) won the sprint race. In the final race, Beczecki took a joyous first win in Mugello, with Martin in second place. As mentioned earlier, Ogura was also on the verge of following in their footsteps. The 2026 Italian GP was a whirlwind weekend for Aprilia, "another Italian manufacturer.

Beczecki wowed Italian fans with his first win at Mugello©MotoGP.com