South Africa's Brad Binder of Red Bull KTM finished ninth at the Dutch MotoGP on Sunday. Photo: Red Bull
Japanese rider Ai Ogura claimed his maiden MotoGP win as Aprilia achieved another 1-2-3 finish, but Marco Bezzecchi crashed and surrendered the overall championship lead to Jorge Martín in Sunday's motorcycling Dutch Grand Prix.
At the heart of MotoGP thanks to their riders and manufacturers, Japan had been waiting nearly 22 years for a victory in the premier class. And it was ultimately Ogura, the 2024 Moto2 world champion, who ended that interminable wait with a first Japanese win since Makoto Tamada in 2004.
The 25-year-old, who had already shown great promise ahead of his 2025 debut in the elite class, has confirmed his talent this year. Ogura delivered a masterful display in the Dutch heat, despite being hampered by a technical issue early in the race. Initially trailing and holding third place for much of the race, he once again produced a blistering finish.
Ogura finished over two seconds ahead of his Trackhouse teammate Raúl Fernández, with another Spaniard, Martín, in third a further 1.5 seconds back on a winding and undulating track.
