Second in the Thai GP, Ai Ogura (MT Helmets MSI) is officially crowned 2024 Moto2™ World Champion! The Japanese becomes the first rider to pass through the Idemitsu Asia Talent Cup to win a world title and the first Japanese to win a crown since Hiroshi Aoyama in 250cc in 2009.
The No. 79's journey to the Moto2™ title began in ATC in 2015, where he didn't wait long before taking his first victory. For his first campaign in ATC, he achieved three podiums (including this victory) and in 2016, he won three times and placed second in the general classification. Also in 2016, Ai Ogura also participated in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and reached the podium in his third race.
The year 2017 brought him more success as he won two races in the Rookies Cup and even scored his first victory in the JuniorGP™ World Championship. In 2018, he scored five additional podiums there, including a victory, and placed in the top 5 in the general classification.
The year 2018 marks Ai Ogura's debut in the World Championship in Jerez, where the young man does not go unnoticed. He earned his first point in Moto3™ and after making three further appearances on the world stage that year, he was offered a starting place in the World Championship for the 2019 campaign with Honda Team Asia.
In his first full season as a Grand Prix driver, Ai Ogura finished in the top 10 nine times, including a second place in Aragon, and finished 10th overall. It's the sign of a good start in the life of a World Championship driver and, in 2020, the Japanese is one of the contenders for the title. Although he does not win a race, the Japanese shines with his consistency. With no fewer than seven podiums, Ai Ogura finished third in the Championship and moved up to Moto2™.
Promoted to the ranks of Idemitsu Honda Team Asia, it didn't take long for him to master the Moto2™ machine. After six finishes in the top 7 during his first 10 races in the intermediate category, he reached his first podium at the Austrian GP with a second place. He finished the year eighth overall for his first season and enters 2022 with title contender status.
The least we can say is that he will honor this status. Ai Ogura takes his first Moto2™ victory at Jerez before adding two more to his tally in Austria and Japan. Unfortunately, three last disappointing races will cause him to narrowly miss the title in favor of Augusto Fernández (Red Bull GASGAS Tech3).
The Japanese's 2023 campaign will experience a real turning point even before the first Grand Prix since he suffered a broken wrist in an accident during pre-season training. He will miss the first two rounds of the season and will be hampered by this injury for several months. The Japanese driver still achieved three podiums but was unable to get involved in the title race. He therefore made 2024 his new goal.
The move from Idemitsu Honda Team Asia and Kalex machines to an MT Helmets – MSI combination and Boscoscuro chassis is a major change for him. However, now in great shape and in full possession of his means, Ai Ogura started the season well with fourth, fifth, seventh and sixth places until the French GP. At Le Mans, he returned to the podium by placing second and during the following race in Barcelona, the No. 79 took his first victory with his new team. Two more successes will come at Assen and at the San Marino GP and will confirm Ai Ogura's title contender status. Second in Indonesia and on home soil in Japan while his main rivals in the Championship are missing, he is in an ideal position with a 60-point lead before a potentially decisive meeting at Phillip Island.
There, he placed fourth and kept his cool under pressure and looked forward to his second match point in Thailand. In Buriram the following week, he finished second and could finally exult. The Japanese wins the title of Moto2™ World Champion with three rounds remaining and will arrive in the premier category next year with a special status.
