Ai Ogura steps as much as the MotoGP class in 2025 because the reigning Moto2 World Champion and with six Grand Prix victories to his identify, however is nonetheless beneath no illusions about his personal pure expertise.
Along with his six race wins, all of which have come within the Moto2 class, Ogura has 27 Grand Prix podiums (19 in Moto2, eight in Moto3) and 6 pole positions (5 in Moto2, one in Moto3), and the Japanese rider has — regardless of his present contract with the satellite tv for pc staff of Aprilia, Trackhouse Racing — been nurtured via his profession on the Highway to MotoGP by Honda.
It might appear, then, straightforward for Ogura — who, in profitable the 2024 Moto2 title, turned the primary Japanese rider to win a Grand Prix title since his outdated staff boss at Honda Workforce Asia, Hiroshi Aoyama, received the 2009 250cc World Championship — to have an over-inflated ego fuelled by his personal accomplishments.
Nevertheless, “I understand how I’m,” Ogura mentioned in his World Champion’s press convention following the Thai Grand Prix final October.
“I’m not one of many quickest, I really feel that I’ve received probably not tremendous expertise, however should you work actually exhausting I consider I can get this factor, and or no matter; I do know in myself that, if it occurs it’s good, however it’s a really low chance.
“I used to be simply dreaming for this ‘primary on the planet’. I imply, possibly just for that yr, however to get this title is what [wanting] for all my profession.”
Ogura admitted that his motivation for profitable the championship in 2024 was elevated after lacking out on the 2020 Moto3 title within the closing race, and shedding out within the 2022 Moto2 season to Augusto Fernandez.
“The most important goal in my racing profession was to get a World Championship title, it doesn’t matter [if it’s] Moto3, Moto2, or MotoGP” he mentioned.
“So, after I misplaced two championships — one in Moto3 (2020), one in 2022 in Moto2 — I used to be simply solely dreaming about this title.
Ogura added: “I don’t begin effectively this season, [Sergio] Garcia had way more factors than me, however I used to be probably not apprehensive in regards to the championship. Even ending sixth or seventh, we knew our potential that we are able to win the race, we are able to end on the rostrum each race if we work within the appropriate approach.
“This began to point out up, I received in Catalunya and all the pieces was going effectively, however I received a fracture in Austria and after that I believe for me Misano 2 (Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix) was enormous.
“I nonetheless had ache, however I received the race and I may make the staff motivated another step, and within the final a part of the season we completed many occasions on the rostrum and simply controlling [the championship].
“It was not the right yr, however a super-nice season.”
