Ai Ogura will hope to turn a superb first-ever MotoGP pole position into a maiden race victory at the Grand Prix of Czechia in Brno on Sunday.
Aprilia rider Ogura was more than two-tenths of a second clear of the rest of the field and one of seven men to break the previous track record, with the front row completed by the Ducati pair of Fabio Di Giannantonio and Francesco Bagnaia.
Standings leader Marco Bezzecchi and Marc Marquez occupy fourth and fifth place for Aprilia and Ducati respectively, with the former having seen his championship lead clipped to 15 points after a crash in the Sprint Race.
That race was won in style by Bagnaia, with Ogura taking second after starting on pole and the podium being rounded out by Marquez, who dominated the last round of MotoGP in Hungary.
MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia Tips Summary
Best Bet - Ai Ogura to win @ 9/4
Alternative Bet - Francesco Bagnaia to win @ 9/2
Alternative Bet - Marco Bezzecchi to win @ 9/2
MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia Prediction
Best Bet: Ai Ogura to win @ 9/4
Ogura has been ultra-consistent so far this season, finishing in the top five in six of the eight races completed, although his only podium finish came at the French Grand Prix, where he took third place behind the factory Aprilias of Jorge Martin and Bezzecchi.
With a win yet to be chalked up, of course there are going to be doubts about whether Ogura can hold off a chasing pack packed with quality, but the Japanese has clearly taken a step forward from his first full season in MotoGP and could be ready to stand atop the podium.
The Sprint Race gave Ogura something to think about as he lost the lead off the line and was never able to properly challenge Bagnaia, so he will know that he needs to get away strongly on Sunday to give himself his best chance of a maiden GP victory.
He finished way down in 14th place as the Grand Prix of Czechia returned to the calendar last year, but he looks to be in the mood to try and register that elusive first-ever GP win and holds more value than favourite Marquez.
Alternative Bet: Francesco Bagnaia @ 9/2
The 2022 and 2023 world champion, Bagnaia, suffered a poor start to the 2026 season as he retired from three of the first five races and finished down in ninth and 10th in the other two.
However, his performances have been much stronger more recently, with the Italian taking third place in Catalonia, Italy and Hungary to suggest that a 32nd MotoGP victory is not too far away.
Bagnaia finished in fourth place in Brno 12 months ago, but his dominant victory in Saturday's Sprint Race will surely have given the Ducati ace the belief that he can do the business in the main event on Sunday.
Alternative Bet: Marco Bezzecchi @ 9/2
Marquez would be an obvious choice to tip to win in Brno on Sunday, but at 11/8 to do so, the Spanish ace holds little appeal, so standings leader Bezzecchi is taken as the second alternative bet.
The 27-year-old Rimini native won the first three races of the season and then added a fourth victory at his home Italian Grand Prix, before a first-corner collision in Hungary last time out stopped his momentum.
Another crash in the Sprint Race in Czechia on Saturday will only have added to Bezzecchi's determination to impress on Sunday and he is sure to be a major contender as long as he avoids trouble and stays upright.
His championship lead has been trimmed to 15 points heading into the race and the Italian will be keen to show the rest of the field that he remains the rider to beat this season.
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Key Race Stats
Honda have won six of the last 10 stagings of the MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia
Ducati's Marc Marquez claimed his fourth MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia win when the race returned in 2025
Marquez finished on the podium in eight of nine races in Czechia between 2011 and 2019
Ai Ogura took pole position with a new lap record and was over two tenths of a second clear of the rest
Aprilia rider Ogura has finished in the top five in six of the eight races so far this season
View details of how to watch MotoGP Grand Prix of Czechia on site.
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
