Riding for MT Helmets-MSI, Ai Ogura took the 2024 Moto2 World Championship crown at the PT Grand Prix of Thailand in Buriram. Ogura follows in the footsteps of countryman Hiroshi Aoyama who won the 250 cc world championship back in 2009, before the series became Moto2.
An alumni of the Asia Talent Cup (ATC), Ogura started his journey to the championship in 2015, with three race wins in his first season. 2016 saw Ogura finishing second in the ATC championship as well as racing in the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.
2018 saw Ogura making his world championship debut in Jerez, Spain with a step up to a full-time World Championship ride in 2019 with Honda Team Asia. In his first full season as a Grand Prix rider, Ogura collected nine top 10 results, including a second place finish in Aragon, Spain, ending the season 10th overall.
Switching from Honda Team Asia to MT Helmet-MSI in 2024, Ogura first four races of the season saw him placing in the top 10. After standing second on the podium in France, followed by race wins in Assen and Italy.
Consistency with back-to-back second places in Indonesia and Japan along with mistakes by rivals saw Ogura clear the field by 60 championship points heading to Philip Island, Australia where he came in fourth.
With inclement weather at Buriram bringing the race to an early close, the full 20 points awarded to Ogura saw the 23-year old bringing home the Moto2 champion’s crown with two races left in the calendar. The next MotoGP race takes place this weekend of November 1 to 3 at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia.
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