Newcomer to the MotoGP circuit, Ai Ogura of Trackhouse Aprilia, has been stripped of his eighth-place finish at the Argentine Grand Prix, held at Termas de Rio Hondo. Ogura’s disqualification was due to a technical non-compliance detected during the post-race scrutiny.
Upon inspection, it was found that Ogura’s Aprilia RS-GP was operating on a software version that was non-compliant. The particular software in question is the spec Electronic Control Unit (ECU) provided by Magneti Marelli. The ECU is a critical component of modern racing bikes, and running a non-homologated version is a serious breach of MotoGP regulations.
This setback follows a promising start to Ogura’s debut MotoGP season. The young racer managed to finish just behind KTM’s Brad Binder in the Argentine Grand Prix, which would have secured him an admirable eighth-place finish. Unfortunately, this achievement will now be erased from the official MotoGP records.
The consequences of Ogura’s disqualification are far-reaching. The rookie rider loses the eight points he had earned from the race. Furthermore, Luca Marini of Honda is now elevated to the top 10, while Raul Fernandez, Trackhouse’s other rider, moves into the top 15.
While this may offer a small sliver of consolation to Trackhouse, it does little to mitigate the disappointment of seeing their promising rookie stripped of his accomplishments due to a technical violation.
Disqualifications of this nature are a rare occurrence in contemporary MotoGP. The last recorded instances of race disqualifications in the series date back to 2019. Back then, the disqualifications were a result of a pitlane exit violation by Karel Abraham and a doping ban against Andrea Iannone.
This incident serves as a stark reminder that while talent and speed are paramount in MotoGP, compliance with the technical aspects of the sport is equally important. As the dust settles on this controversy, it’s back to the drawing board for Ogura and the Trackhouse team as they look to navigate the rest of the season without further hiccups.