Ai Ogura is MotoGP's comeback wizard: here's the real secret

The positive streak of results, highlighted by the memorable and historic victory at Assen, has propelled Ai Ogura all the way up to second place in the championship, 14 points behind leader Jorge Martin. All this in just his second MotoGP season, as he becomes known to the wider public, captivated by the Japanese rider’s style—someone who’s a character without trying to be one. In this first half of the season there’s another factor elevating the 2024 Moto2 World Champion in the eyes of the “casual” crowd: starring in superb comebacks.

Even without watching any Sprint or race so far, the numbers tell the story. In the 22 contests (short or long races alike) completed, on 18 occasions Ai Ogura gained positions compared to his slot on the starting grid. Four exceptions: the Jerez Sprint (helped by the arrival of rain: from 11th on the grid to 15th at the finish, but 5th in the long race the next day), the Balaton Sprint (from 10th to 11th) and, ironically, the two Brno races. Starting from pole, he was beaten by Pecco Bagnaia (Sprint) and Marc Marquez (Grand Prix), finishing second in both cases.

Setting aside these 4 exceptions, across the 18 Sprints/Races he has gained a total of 65 positions relative to his grid slot. An average of nearly 4 places gained per race, making him the protagonist of stellar comebacks. And the tally could have been even more resounding: in the Austin race, starting 10th, he climbed onto a provisional podium spot before a technical problem forced him to retire.

In fact, for Ai Ogura—who has clearly improved in qualifying performance and in the opening laps—this also comes down to approach. The first laps serve as an overview of the situation before going all-in, without chewing up the tires. All while still delivering anthology-worthy comebacks and some overtakes already destined for the end-of-year clip of the best moments of the MotoGP season.