Ai Ogura has outlined his tight scrap with Marc Marquez in the sprint race for the Malaysian Grand Prix, but denied he was acting under any manufacturer orders from Aprilia. The Trackhouse rider got off to a brilliant start from fourth on the grid, passing both Pedro Acosta and Marquez to jump to second.
As the leaders braked into the tight opening corner, Ogura ran wide, bringing Marquez back into play. The pair banged wheels at the second part of the corner and again heading into Turn 2, with Marquez forced to check up at the second instance, losing a place to eventual race winner Acosta.
"I gained a few positions after the start. There was a little bit of a battle with Marc," he recalled. "We both arrived in the same corner, side by side so many times. I have to defend my position. I know he got a better pace than me, so he wanted to pass me. We just arrived in the corner like this so many times."
Later in the race, Ogura and Marquez engaged in another close duel for second place, swapping positions several times before the Ducati rider cemented his position. After leading a large chunk of the sprint, Ogura ultimately had to settle for fourth, missing out to factory Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi for the final podium position.
"For sure, I tried to defend my position. It was a bit messy, but he beat me at the end," Ogura stated. The MotoGP sophomore also admitted that he lacked the required pace in intermittent light rain conditions to secure a sprint victory.
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