Moto 2 Thailand Sunday 2024

#GoldenAi: Ogura clinches 2024 title with P2 as Canet wins in Thailand

Ai Ogura Claims 2024 Moto2™ World Championship in Thailand with a P2 Finish

Overview of the Race and Historic Win

Ai Ogura of MT Helmets – MSI has made history, securing the 2024 Moto2™ World Championship title with a second-place finish in the rain-affected Moto2™ PT Grand Prix of Thailand. This makes him the first Japanese World Champion since Hiroshi Aoyama’s title in 2009 and the first-ever former IDEMITSU Asia Talent Cup rider to achieve a Grand Prix title. Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) took victory in Thailand, marking his third win of 2024 and solidifying his spot as the favorite for the season’s silver medal. Completing the podium was Marcos Ramirez (OnlyFans American Racing Team), who secured his first podium of the year.

Action-Packed Start

Starting from pole, Ogura initially held the lead at Turn 1 before Canet overtook him at Turn 3. By Turn 4, Ogura was back at the front, but Turn 5 saw a dramatic double incident: Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) crashed, taking out Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) with him. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) also made an aggressive move, diving inside Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team) and Ogura, which caused the Japanese rider to fall back to P7.

Race Settles but Ogura Begins His Charge

On Lap 3, Canet led with Ramirez in second and Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) in third, while Lopez dropped to P12 after a wide exit on the previous lap. Ogura, now in sixth place behind Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) and Moreira, began his charge forward. Setting the fastest lap of the race, he overtook Binder at Turn 3 with a bit of contact, causing Binder to run wide. Ogura then closed in on Dixon and Moreira ahead.

Ogura Moves to the Podium

With 16 laps remaining, Ogura overtook Dixon for P4, securing a potential championship-winning position. By Lap 9, he had climbed to P3, setting another fastest lap with only a 1.6-second gap separating him from Ramirez and Canet. A few laps later, Ogura caught up to Ramirez, overtaking him skillfully at Turn 3 using the cutback to perfection and moving up to P2 with just under ten laps left.

Weather Adds Uncertainty

Light rain began to fall over the Buriram circuit, but the race continued with Canet putting in his fastest lap and widening his lead to two seconds over Ogura. With only two laps to go, Canet extended his lead further to 3.6 seconds as Ogura maintained a one-second advantage over Ramirez in third. At this critical moment, the red flag was shown due to worsening weather conditions, with 20 of the 22 laps completed.

Championship Clinched and Podium Set

With the race cut short, Ai Ogura was declared the 2024 Moto2™ World Champion, a momentous win for both the rider and Japanese motorcycling. For Ramirez, the red flag came at the right time as home favorite Somkiat Chantra (IDEMITSU Honda Team Asia) was closing in, though Chantra ultimately finished fourth. Moreira secured P5, leading a competitive pack that included Izan Guevara (sixth, CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team), Dixon in seventh, Albert Arenas (Gresini Moto2™) in eighth, and Manuel Gonzalez (Gresini Moto2™) in ninth.

Rounding Out the Top Finishers

Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Ajo) took tenth place, followed by Alonso Lopez in P11 after an early mistake that cost him a shot at the podium. Sergio Garcia’s title hopes were dashed as he finished P12, with Ayumu Sasaki (Yamaha VR46 Master Camp Team), Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team), and substitute rider Jorge Navarro (OnlyFans American Racing Team) rounding out the points scorers.

Looking Ahead

With two races remaining, Ai Ogura’s title is secured, allowing him to ride pressure-free as the season continues to Malaysia. Aron Canet, with his third win of the year, has established himself as the frontrunner in the battle for second in the championship.