Round 18 of the Moto2 Championship in Thailand saw Ai Ogura crown himself the 2024 WorldChampion after a rain-interrupted race in Buriram.
Despite starting on pole, Ogura dropped to seventh by lap three, risking his title bid as Aron Canet led out front. However, the Japanese clawed his way back setting a series of new lap records to secure second.
Darryn Binder, having risen from 16th to fifth, was forced wide by an aggressive move by a charging Ogura.
The incident was reviewed but ruled a racing incident. From there, Ogura quickly advanced, overtaking Diogo Moreira for third by lap ten and locking in second eight laps from the end.
With two laps left, worsening weather brought out the red flags, confirming Canet’s third win and Ogura’s title as celebrations erupted.
Somkiat Chantra, Thailand’s local hero, had surged from 13th to fourth, aiming for a podium before the race was halted. Moreira took fifth as top rookie, with Izan Guevara sixth and teammate Jake Dixon seventh. Marcos Ramirez capped his season best in third, while Deniz Oncu and Manuel Gonzalez rounded out the top ten.
Fermin Aldeguer and Tony Arbolino’s clash marred the start, eliminating both and leaving Aldeguer with a broken wrist. The Spaniard will miss the Malaysian Grand Prix next weekend. He will be replaced by Alberto Surra.
