Ai Ogura will attempt to return to MotoGP this weekend at the Austrian Grand Prix, held at the Red Bull Ring. The Trackhouse Aprilia rider has missed the last two rounds after surgery for a fractured left thumb, an injury suffered while training on a motocross bike in Japan. His comeback is still conditional, however: he must pass the mandatory pre-event medical check before he can race. If cleared, Ogura will take his RS-GP back onto the track for opening practice.

The two-round absence has reshaped his championship position. Ogura stood second in the world championship at the summer break and has won this year’s Dutch MotoGP. After a crash at the British MotoGP and the subsequent hand injury, he has slipped to sixth in the standings. He is not framing Austria as an immediate opportunity to chase a major result. Instead, the first measure will be how the hand copes and how quickly he can recover his feel for the Aprilia.

Ogura has said that his hand is in better shape than he expected a week earlier. He also accepts that missing two races means he will need time to rebuild complete confidence on the bike. In his view, a podium in the first race after an injury would be a difficult target, so he is keeping expectations for himself restrained. He does expect Raul Fernandez to produce a good race.

The Austrian round is also intended to serve as a step towards Motegi, Ogura’s home event. He wants to regain a positive feeling in Austria, put together good races in both Austria and Japan, and be close to full fitness by the Japanese round. Ogura is due to join the factory Yamaha team next season.