The MotoGP Japanese rookie rider Ai Ogura recently had a minor surgery on his right leg after he crashed during the British Grand Prix weekend at Silverstone. The accident happened during the first Free Practice session (FP1) on Friday, when Ogura fell hard at Turn 2. He only managed to complete one lap before he had to stop riding for the rest of the weekend.

After the crash, doctors suspected a fracture at the top of his right tibia (the shinbone, just below the knee). Ogura flew back to Barcelona for further checks. There, an MRI scan confirmed the injury and also found a small bone fragment that had moved out of place.

On Monday, Ogura underwent keyhole surgery to repair the fracture and remove the loose bone piece. The surgery lasted about 30 minutes and was successful. The doctors were pleased with the results, and Ogura has already started his recovery and rehabilitation.

The team released a statement after the surgery saying:

“Ai Ogura underwent a successful keyhole surgery to repair a fracture at the top of his right tibia. An MRI revealed a small bone fragment, which was removed during the surgery. The post-operation evaluation was positive, and Ai has started rehab.
We hope he will be ready to ride at the Grand Prix of Aragon in just over a week. His recovery will be closely monitored, and he will have another fitness check closer to race weekend.”

Ai Ogura also shared a short update:

“The surgery is done, and I think everything went quite well. I feel pretty okay with my knee, but I need a bit more time to fully recover. It’s not easy, and we’ll see if I can be ready for Aragon. I’m doing my best to heal, but with injuries like this, there’s only so much you can do. I’ll keep working and prepare for the next race.”

But despite this setback, Ogura has been having a solid rookie season so far. He was very close to a podium finish in Thailand and has had several top-ten finishes.

He is currently in 12th place in the rider standings. Notably, he was often the top-performing Aprilia rider in races, which is even more impressive considering that he is a rookie.

So, what’s next for him?

If Ogura is not fit to race at Aragon, Trackhouse may face a challenge finding a substitute. Aprilia’s usual test rider, Lorenzo Savadori, is currently filling in for another injured rider, Jorge Martin, in the factory team. This could make it difficult for Trackhouse to find a replacement on short notice.

For now, both the team and Ogura are hopeful that he will be fit enough to race next weekend. So fans are waiting for news to see if the young rookie will bounce back quickly and continue his promising debut season.