Ai Ogura’s performance in Thailand took everyone in the paddock by surprise. At the Buriram circuit, the Japanese rider managed to qualify fifth on the grid in his very first MotoGP qualifying session a feat that he surpassed later that afternoon by finishing fourth in the sprint race, behind only Marc Marquez, his brother Alex, and Francesco Bagnaia. On Sunday in the main race, the Japanese rider crossed the finish line in fifth, marking the best debut since 2013, when Marc Marquez stormed into MotoGP with third place on debut in Qatar.
The Japanese rider’s maiden MotoGP outing was almost as striking as the announcement of his promotion to the premier class with Trackhouse – one that no one saw coming. At the time, all eyes in Moto2 were on other candidates such as Sergio Garcia or Tony Arbolino, who remain in the intermediate category.
