By Oriol Puigdemont
Publication Date: 2026-04-11 11:00:00
Yamaha has decided to sign Ai Ogura for the 2027 MotoGP season, where he will join Jorge Martin in the manufacturer’s factory team, Motorsport has learned.
The Japanese rider, currently completing his second MotoGP season with the Trackhouse Racing team aboard an Aprilia, will replace Alex Rins after Fabio Quartararo was long confirmed to move to Honda.
With this step, Yamaha completes its factory line-up. The Moto2 world champion joins Martin, who secured the premier class title in 2024 – the same year Ogura captured the Moto2 crown.
Ogura made a strong impression during his rookie MotoGP season in 2025, highlighted by an excellent fifth place in Buriram on his debut – which ended up being his best result of the season. In 2026, Ogura again finished fifth in both Thailand and Brazil before a mechanical problem on his Aprilia ruled him out of podium contention – and the race overall – in ten days in Austin…
