A day after being confirmed as a MotoGP rider for 2025, Ai Ogura began the Moto2 Austrian GP in the best possible way by leading the free practice session in Spielberg.
After the initial flying laps, Jake Dixon (CFMOTO Inde Aspar/Kalex) was at the top of the timesheets, a position he held for almost five minutes before being surpassed by Arón Canet (Fantic Racing/Kalex). The Brit quickly regained his position.
However, just over a minute later, Ogura (MT Helmets-MSi/Boscoscuro) took the lead. The Japanese rider improved his time once more after that point but was never beaten until the end of the session.
Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia/Kalex) finished in second place, 0.108s behind, followed by Manuel González (QJMotor Gresini/Kalex) and Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS/Kalex). Dixon completed the top five, ahead of Fermín Aldeguer (Sync SpeedUp/Boscoscuro).
Championship leader Sergio García (MT Helmets-MSi/Boscoscuro) started quietly, ending up 20th, 1.099s behind Ogura. The session saw crashes that sent Celestino Vietti (Red Bull KTM Ajo/Kalex) and Izan Guevara (CFMOTO Inde Aspar/Kalex) to the medical center. The Italian, who finished in 10th, has already been declared fit.
Timesheets:
The first #Moto2 session of the weekend goes comfortably to @AiOgura79 🔥
— MotoGP™🏁 (@MotoGP) August 16, 2024
@somkiat35 finishes FP in second and @18ManuGonzalez in third 👏#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/oyxIa8wpdw
