MotoGP Motegi: Ogden ‘savouring moment’ of first front row

VisionTrack celebrated its maiden Moto3 front row start on Saturday after Scott Ogden defied the conditions at Motegi.

With heavy rain hitting the Japanese venue across day two at the Mobility Resort circuit, Ogden used his Q1 experience to hit the ground running in the final 15-minute session.

Repeatedly striving for the front, Ogden dropped no lower than sixth as he advanced his pace - having already set the outright 2’11,779 target in the opening qualifying to secure promotion. A final 2’11.568 effort saw the 18-year-old second in the standings alongside poleman, and birthday boy, Tatsuki Suzuki with title-challenger Sergio Garcia behind for third.

“I’m really happy!” Ogden said from his first world championship Parc Fermé. “It’s a bit of a change for what we’ve been used to the last few weeks.

“It doesn’t change the fact we’re still struggling in the dry and tomorrow is gonna be a difficult race but I’ve got to savour this moment now.

“I felt good out there. It’s not one of those things where I feel like the Brits are better in the wet, I just feel like if you’ve got a good riding style, smooth, it works. So yeah, I’m really happy. We got to see what tomorrow brings but we’ll try our best and go full gas!”

“People keep talking about a typhoon but to us, this is just a little bit of light drizzle in the UK,” team manager Taylor Mackenzie joked trackside.

“Really chuffed for him. He’s had a bit of a rough time of late, on and off the track and he’s turned it around today.

“He’s rode incredibly well, kept calm, not easy conditions, but did an amazing job. So I’m chuffed to bits for him.”