SUNday SEPTEMBER 28, 2025
Mobility Circuit Motegi. Japan
Mobility Circuit Motegi. Japan: Track length: 2.983 miles / 4.801 kilometers
Warm Up: 9.40am – 9.50am – Dry Track
Air Temperature: 75.2°F / 24°C
Track Temperature: 91.4°F / 33°C
#25 Raul Fernandez
P17 – Best Lap: 1’45.000 – Lap 5 of 6
Top speed: 193.93 mph / 312.1 km/h
#79 Ai Ogura
P21 – Best Lap: 1’45.169 – Lap 4 of 6
Top speed: 194.49 mph / 313 km/h
RACE: 2pm – Dry track: 24 Laps – 71.59 miles / 115.22 kilometers
Air Temperature: 82.4°F / 28°C
Track Temperature: 105.8°F / 41°C
#79 Ai Ogura – Did not start (Race Points: 0 Championship Standing: 17 Total Points: 70)
#25 Raul Fernandez – P7 (Race Points: 9 Championship Standing: 13 Total Points: 95)
Race Time: 42’26.900 Best Lap: 1’45.114 – Lap 4 of 24
Average speed: 101.16 mph / 162.8 Km/h Top speed: 195.61 mph / 314.8 km/h
Race Weekend Summary:
#25 Raul Fernandez races to 7th place - #79 Ai Ogura has to bow out in Japan.
- Out of Europe and into Asia – the MotoGP World Championship touched down in Japan for the debut home race, in the premier class, of Trackhouse MotoGP Team’s young rookie, #79 Ai Ogura. Early excitement was clear from the enthusiastic reception he received at the Japan GP pre-event appearance he made in central Tokyo – Wednesday evening, a theme continued on arrival at Motegi’s Mobility Resort circuit.
- Both Ai and teammate, #25 Raul Fernandez, arrived in the Motegi Paddock with missions to fulfil – Raul to capitalize on a positive test day at Misano, immediately after the San Marino Grand Prix and Ai to get a sense of his fitness following a brutal crash which he suffered in the early stages of the feature race in Misano.
- Friday’s FP1 opened with a crash in the early stages for Raul but thereafter was a trouble-free installation session for both Trackhouse pilots.
- The Friday afternoon Practice proved a mix of progress and frustration; Raul finding good pace and grip to secure P9 and direct into Saturday’s 2nd Qualifying group while Ai was right in the mix until the dying seconds – just pipped as the checkered flag flew to end P14, meaning a trip through the Qualifying 1 shootout.
- Saturday morning’s sunshine shone brightly on Ai Ogura as he leaped to 2nd on the Q1 time sheet, with the clock winding down, only to have his best lap, all in the red zone – fastest in each sector – thwarted towards the end by a crash ahead of him which brought out the caution and forced him to roll-off. He still posted his best lap around Motegi but the enforced pace check was enough to put him just outside the top two with P13 on the grid for both Saturday’s Sprint and the main race on Sunday.
- Raul found good pace in the Q2 session to decide the top twelve grid positions for both the races but in the closing stages found that others were making late gains and he ultimately finished the 15-minute shootout in 10th spot.
- Saturday’s 12 lap Sprint race saw both rider’s make progress and points – the #25 home in P8 and the #79, despite the discomfort he was suffering in his right hand, climbing to P9 – a line astern finish and with lots of information on tire performance and set-up ahead of the full 24-lap Grand Prix on Sunday.
- Unfortunately, Sunday also brought the withdrawal of the #79 – Ai forced out of the Japanese Grand Prix as the pain in his right hand intensified overnight. Following the short morning Warm Up session, Ai consulted the MotoGP Championship medical staff and following their advice, with the full support of the team, decided to pull out of the afternoon race. Being forced to miss his MotoGP class debut in Japan, in front of his home fans, was a huge disappointment for the 24-year-old from Tokyo but entirely justified given his condition and needs of safety above all else.
- For Raul, starting the race from 10th place on the grid, a good start and a place gained on Lap 1 was ultimately converted into a strong 7th place finsh and more Championship points.
- The Japanese Grand Prix witnessed the crowing of Marc Marquez as 2025 MotoGP World Champion and Trackhouse conveys its congratulations to him and his Ducati Corse team on their success.
AI OGURA
- Did Not Start
- Following the heavy crash that Ai suffered in the early laps of the San Marino Grand Prix, Ai spent the weekend in Motegi riding with some discomfort in his right hand. Unfortunately, this became more acute to the point where, on Sunday, he was forced to withdraw from the Grand Prix of Japan. While hugely disappointed not to be able to race for his home fans, his well-being and safety on track was the priority and the team is monitoring his condition with the MotoGP World Championship medical staff and supporting Ai in the recovery process. His participation in next week’s Grand Prix of Indonesia will be subject to a review of his progress when the team arrives in Mandalika.
“There’s nothing really to say about today. It’s just a shame that I had to miss my home GP. The situation with my hand was not good and me and my team just decided to skip this race to, hopefully, be in a better condition in the next races. I’m just disappointed about the weekend, but the riding was quite OK and we could see some potential in Motegi. I just want to take the positives and move on.”
RAUL FERNANDEZ
- Grid position: P10 – Started on Front: medium – slick tire & Rear: medium – slick tire
- As the lights went out for the start of the 24-lap Japanese Grand Prix, Raul got away well on the #25 Trackhouse RS-GP25 and made a place early.
- Consolidating 9th across the stripe for the first time, he gained another spot on Lap 2.
- Running in 8th and keeping pace with the group in front, he was promoted to 7th by a crash ahead on Lap 19 and stayed there for the final 5 laps.
- Another points scoring race for Raul and good pace to take into next week’s race as the MotoGP World Championship moves to Mandalika, on the island of Lombok, for the Grand Prix of Indonesia.
“I’m very happy. We managed to show our good work of the weekend again during the race. We saw we have the potential to fight for these kinds of positions and I felt very comfortable during the race. Especially in the middle of the race, I felt I had a little bit more than Alex (Marquez) and tried to close the gap to him but when I was at three, four tenths, it was difficult to make up this last gap. I’m happy, but we need to understand how we can be a little bit further to the front in Qualifying because if we gain two, three positions in Qualifying, maybe we can do that also in the race. I think we did a good job - after the crash on Friday morning, my team moved very fast to be ready for Practice to get this direct Q2 entry. It was one of the keys of this weekend and in Indonesia we will try to do the same.”
“It’s a mix of emotions today. First of all, we had to face the difficult decision to not race with Ai due to the pain he suffered after the Warm Up this morning. This also explains what a big effort he made yesterday to finish the Sprint in a brilliant way - getting a point. Anyway, today it was impossible and it was difficult for him, so we preferred to take the decision to stop and try to prepare in the coming days for a better recovery looking at Mandalika. But, we could enjoy the race of Raul. He finished in P7, which is a good result and our target. So, congratulations to him, well managed through the race - he had a good pace and now we’re looking forward to next week.”
- DAVIDE BRIVIO, TEAM PRINCIPAL
Trackhouse MotoGP Team Championship Standing: 9th Total Points: 165
Next Race: Grand Prix of Indonesia. October 3-5 – Mandalika International Circuit, Lombok, Indonesia
