2024 Moto2 World Champion · MotoGP

Ai Ogura

Ai Ogura won the 2024 Moto2 title, Japan's first world championship in fifteen years, and took his maiden MotoGP victory at Assen in 2026. He joins the factory Yamaha team for 2027.

Nationality
Japanese
Born
26 January 2001 · Kiyose, Tokyo, Japan
Number
79
Teams
Asia Talent Team · Honda Team Asia · Idemitsu Honda Team Asia · MT Helmets – MSi · Trackhouse
Championships
1 (Moto2 2024)
Manufacturers
Honda · Kalex · Boscoscuro · Aprilia
Shop the Collection Watch highlights
Graphic illustration of MotoGP rider Ai Ogura wearing his blue and red MT Helmets racing suit and cap, featuring his number 79 race motorcycle
Moto2 World Champion
2018 — Present
1
World Title
7
Grand Prix Wins
31
Podiums
141
GP Starts

Who is Ai Ogura?

Ai Ogura, born 26 January 2001 in Kiyose, Tokyo, is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He won the 2024 Moto2 World Championship, Japan's first world title in fifteen years, and took his maiden MotoGP victory at Assen in 2026. He rides for Trackhouse and joins the factory Yamaha team in 2027.

Full name
Ai Ogura (小椋 藍)
Nationality
Japanese
Career
2018 — present
Best known for
The 2024 Moto2 title and his maiden MotoGP win at Assen

By KozmozInspire Editorial Published Updated 9 sources

Rider Profile

Ai Ogura: Full Biography

Ai Ogura (小椋 藍) is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer, born on 26 January 2001 in Kiyose, Tokyo. He rides the number 79 Aprilia for the Trackhouse MotoGP Team and won the 2024 Moto2 World Championship.

He came through the Asia Talent Cup and the FIM CEV series, reaching the Moto3 world championship with the Asia Talent Team in 2018 and then Honda Team Asia. Seven podiums in 2020 took him to third in the standings.

Four seasons in Moto2 followed, three of them with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia. Three wins made him championship runner-up in 2022, and after moving to MT Helmets – MSi and Boscoscuro machinery for 2024 he took three more victories and eight podiums to become world champion.

That title made him the first Japanese world champion since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009, and the first Asia Talent Cup graduate to reach MotoGP. He joined Trackhouse for 2025, won at Assen in 2026, and has signed for the factory Yamaha team for 2027 and 2028 alongside Jorge Martín.

The Career

Three Chapters That Defined Ai Ogura

Chapter 01

Out of the Asia Talent Cup

Ogura came up through the Asia Talent Cup, the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup and the FIM CEV Repsol series, taking CEV Moto3 podiums through 2018 alongside riders who would follow him to the world championship. His Grand Prix debut came that same year with the Asia Talent Team, four races for a single point. A full season with Honda Team Asia in 2019 brought one podium and tenth overall, and 2020 was the breakthrough: a pole position, seven podiums and third in the Moto3 world championship. No win came in the smallest class, but the results were enough to move him up.

Ai Ogura on the Moto3 podium of the 2018 CEV Valencia round, alongside Sergio García and Can Öncü. Moto3, 2018 — 2020 Photo: Ai Ogura on the Moto3 podium of the 2018 CEV Valencia round by Box Repsol — CC BY 2.0. Resized. · licence
Chapter 02

Runner-Up, Then Champion

Three seasons with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia produced a steady rise. One podium and eighth overall in 2021 gave way to 2022, when three victories and seven podiums made him championship runner-up. A harder 2023 followed, ninth in the standings on the same Kalex. The change came in 2024 with a move to MT Helmets – MSi and Boscoscuro machinery: three wins, eight podiums, two poles and 274 points made him Moto2 World Champion. He became the first Japanese rider to win a Grand Prix world championship since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009, and the first graduate of the Asia Talent Cup to reach the premier class.

Ai Ogura riding his MT Helmets – MSi Boscoscuro Moto2 machine at the 2024 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, the season he won the title. Moto2, 2021 — 2024 Photo: Ai Ogura, MT Helmets – MSi Moto2 (2024 Malaysian Grand Prix) by Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · licence
Chapter 03

Assen, and Yamaha

The first premier-class season with Trackhouse was a learning year: no podium and sixteenth overall on the Aprilia. 2026 was transformed. Third in France, second in the Czech Republic, then victory at the Dutch TT at Assen ahead of his own teammate Raúl Fernández and Jorge Martín — his maiden MotoGP win, and one the series described as Japan's first in the premier class for twenty-two years. Another second place followed in Germany. In July 2026 Yamaha confirmed him for the factory team for 2027 and 2028, alongside Jorge Martín.

Ai Ogura, number 79, riding his Trackhouse Racing Aprilia at the 2025 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix. MotoGP, 2025 — present Photo: Ai Ogura, Trackhouse Racing Aprilia (2025 Malaysian Grand Prix) by Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized) · licence
Career Timeline

Ai Ogura Career Timeline: 2001 — Present

Born in Kiyose

Born on 26 January 2001 in Kiyose, Tokyo.

Grand Prix debut

Four Moto3 races with the Asia Talent Team, having come through the Asia Talent Cup.

First full Moto3 season

One podium and tenth overall with Honda Team Asia.

Third in the world

A pole position and seven podiums in Moto3.

Steps up to Moto2

One podium and eighth overall with Idemitsu Honda Team Asia.

Moto2 runner-up

Three wins, three poles and seven podiums.

Switch to MT Helmets – MSi

Moves to Boscoscuro machinery for what becomes his title season.

Moto2 World Champion

Three wins and eight podiums; Japan's first world champion since 2009.

MotoGP debut

Joins Trackhouse on the Aprilia; sixteenth in his first premier-class season.

First MotoGP podium

Third place in France.

Maiden MotoGP win

Wins the Dutch TT at Assen ahead of Raúl Fernández and Jorge Martín.

Second in Germany

A fourth podium of the season.

Yamaha confirmed

Signs for the factory Yamaha team for 2027 and 2028 alongside Jorge Martín.

By the Numbers

Ai Ogura Career Record, Season by Season

Ai Ogura season-by-season record: team, wins, poles, podiums, points and final standing.
SeasonTeam Wins Poles Podiums Points Pos.
2018 Asia Talent Team · Moto3 0 0 0 1 36
2019 Honda Team Asia · Moto3 0 0 1 109 10
2020 Honda Team Asia · Moto3 0 1 7 170 3
2021 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia · Moto2 0 0 1 120 8
2022 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia · Moto2 3 3 7 242 2
2023 Idemitsu Honda Team Asia · Moto2 0 0 3 137.5 9
2024 MT Helmets – MSi · Moto2 3 2 8 274 1
2025 Trackhouse MotoGP Team · MotoGP 0 0 0 89 16
2026 Trackhouse MotoGP Team · MotoGP 1 1 4 203 5

The championship season is highlighted. Career totals across all classes: 141 starts, 7 Grand Prix wins, 7 poles, 31 podiums, 1,345.5 points, 1 world title. The 2026 season is in progress — 12 starts recorded at the verification date. Verified 2026-09-01 against the official MotoGP rider statistics, which match Wikipedia's per-class totals exactly for every completed season.

Ai Ogura in his own words

In His Own Words
Really important to get a ride for a Japanese factory
Ai Ogura · motogp.com, on signing for Yamaha, 9 July 2026
Frequently Asked

Ai Ogura: Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Ai Ogura?

Ai Ogura is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer, born 26 January 2001 in Kiyose, Tokyo. He rides the number 79 Aprilia for the Trackhouse MotoGP Team and is the 2024 Moto2 World Champion.

How many world championships has Ai Ogura won?

One, the 2024 Moto2 World Championship with MT Helmets – MSi. He was also Moto2 runner-up in 2022 and third in Moto3 in 2020.

Why was Ogura's 2024 title significant?

He became the first Japanese rider to win a Grand Prix world championship since Hiroshi Aoyama in 2009, and the first graduate of the Asia Talent Cup to reach MotoGP.

Has Ai Ogura won a MotoGP race?

Yes, one: the 2026 Dutch TT at Assen, ahead of his teammate Raúl Fernández and Jorge Martín. Across all classes he has 7 Grand Prix wins.

What team does Ai Ogura ride for?

The Trackhouse MotoGP Team on Aprilia machinery, since 2025. He joins the factory Yamaha team for 2027 and 2028.

Who will be Ogura's teammate at Yamaha?

Jorge Martín. Yamaha announced both riders for 2027 and 2028 on 1 July 2026.

What number does Ai Ogura race with?

79.

What is Ai Ogura's name in Japanese?

小椋 藍, written surname first as Ogura Ai in Japanese name order.

Shop His Gear

Ai Ogura Collection

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How this page is made

Rider profiles are compiled from official series records and cross-checked against independent statistical databases before publication.

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