Ogura climbs to Championship summit with San Marino victory
A third win of 2024 for Ai Ogura (MT Helmets – MSI) has seen the Moto2™ World Championship lead change hands as the Japanese star beats Aron Canet (Fantic Racing) by 0.6s to climb to the summit of the overall standings.
Third place went the way of Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) as the Italian pocketed his second top three on the spin.
From pole, Arbolino launched well to grab the holeshot as Ogura stuck his Boscoscuro up the inside of Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to move up one place to P2. The opening lap saw title-hunting Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) crash out at the final corner before we saw a move come in from Canet to grab P3 from Vietti.
The top three were getting into a competitive groove, with Arbolino leading Canet – who had now passed Ogura – by 0.4s, with the latter a couple of tenths further back in P3. At this stage – Lap 5 of 22 – Vietti was 0.9s away from the podium places in P4, with Manuel Gonzalez (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) keeping tabs on the Italian in P5.
With 13 laps left, the lead changed hands for the first time. Canet pounced on Arbolino, and on the same lap, the Italian ran wide at Turn 14 to allow Ogura to swing by. For the next few laps it was as you were at the front, with the gaps stabilising between Canet, Ogura and Arbolino. Meanwhile, Vietti was sitting 1.2s away from Arbolino’s rear wheel.
On Lap 18 of 22, Ogura was now climbing all over the tail of Canet’s Kalex-Triumph. Arbolino was still in touch but was operating 0.6s behind, as the leading duo engaged battle at Turn 14. Ogura was up the inside but ran in deep, which allowed Canet to swoop back through and keep the P1 baton.
That was snatched from him at Turn 10 with four laps left though. Ogura slid up the inside and made the move stick, as Arbolino and Vietti etched their names into the victory fight. However, Ogura was stretching the pack and trying to keep hold of the podium trio, Vietti crashed unhurt at the penultimate corner.
Four became three with two to go. Ogura was leading Canet by 0.2s, with Arbolino now just under a second from the win. Heading onto the last lap, it was just two riders in the victory hunt – Ogura and Canet. Could the latter get close enough to make a move? The answer was no. Ogura strung an inch-perfect final lap together to claim a massive win that sends him to the Championship summit. Canet finished a close P2 as Arbolino completed the podium, eventually finishing four seconds away from P1.
Gonzalez picked up a solid P4 finish, while Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar Team) came from P14 on the grid to pick up an important P5. Fermin Aldeguer (Beta Tools SpeedUp) was P6, as Filip Salač (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) showed some great late race pace to take home a P7 – his best result of the season. Diogo Moreira (Italtrans Racing Team), Albert Arenas (QJMOTOR Gresini Moto2™) and Darryn Binder (Liqui Moly Husqvarna Intact GP) completed the top 10.
With Sergio Garcia (MT Helmets – MSI) finishing in a disappointing P12, the title lead is now with Ogura. 11 points split the teammates ahead of the Emilia-Romagna GP in a couple of weeks, which way will the title race pendulum swing when we come back to Misano?
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