Sports season
Daijiro Kato (pictured at Donington Park) became the 2001 250cc world champion
The 2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 53rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary [ ]
2001 was the end of the 500 cc era in Grand Prix motorcycle racing ; in 2002 the premier class would be renamed MotoGP and dominated by 4-stroke 990 cc machines. However, 2001 was the beginning of another era, that of Valentino Rossi 's run of championships in the top class. His learning year past him, he won 11 races in 2001, far outdistancing his nearest competitor, Max Biaggi . Rossi and Biaggi began the season with a controversial incident at Suzuka , where Biaggi seemed to have tried to push Rossi into the dirt at 150 mph and Rossi responded two laps later with an aggressive pass and an extended middle finger. Rossi would win that race and sew-up the championship with two rounds to go. As of 2020, it was the last season where a satellite rider won the rider championship title in the premier class.
The 500 cc Rookie of the Year award went to Shinya Nakano .[1] At the 2001 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix , Katja Poensgen became the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.[2]
As of 2020, it was the last year where a single constructor (Honda) won the championship in all three categories.
2001 Grand Prix season calendar [ ]
In the weekend of 20 to 22 October 2000, the FIM confirmed the 2001 calendar.[3] The following sixteen Grands Prix were scheduled to take place:[4] [5]
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes [ ]
2001 Grand Prix seasons results [ ]
†† = Saturday race
Participants [ ]
500cc participants [ ]
Team
Constructor
Motorcycle
No
Rider
Rounds
Repsol YPF Honda Team
Honda
Honda NSR500
11
Tohru Ukawa
All
28
Àlex Crivillé
All
West Honda Pons
4
Alex Barros
All
65
Loris Capirossi
All
Nastro Azzurro Honda
46
Valentino Rossi
All
Shell Advance Honda
8
Chris Walker
1–8
9
Leon Haslam
9–16
Honda NSR500V
1–4, 6–8
18
Brendan Clarke
9–16
Arie Molenaar Racing
12
Haruchika Aoki
1–3, 5–16
32
4
Dee Cee Jeans Racing
14
1
14
Anthony West
2–16
21
Barry Veneman
1–5, 7–16
By Queroseno Racing
37
12
Paton Grand Prix Slovnaft -Paton Grand Prix
Paton
Paton PG500RC
25
Shaun Geronimi
10
26
3, 5
27
Sébastien Gimbert
8
Proton Team KR
Proton KR
Proton KR3
17
Jurgen van den Goorbergh
All
80
Kurtis Roberts
15
Pulse GP
Pulse
Pulse 500
24
1–7, 9
68
Mark Willis
1–8
Sabre Sport
Sabre
Sabre V4
16
Johan Stigefelt
1–15
Telefónica Movistar Suzuki
Suzuki
Suzuki RGV500 (XRB1)
1
Kenny Roberts, Jr.
All
15
Sete Gibernau
All
33
Akira Ryō
1
64
Yukio Kagayama
13
Marlboro Yamaha Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500 (OWL6)
3
Max Biaggi
All
7
Carlos Checa
1, 3–16
Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3
19
Olivier Jacque
1–4, 6–16
56
Shinya Nakano
All
Red Bull Yamaha WCM
5
Garry McCoy
1–4, 6–7, 9–16
24
8
41
Noriyuki Haga
All
Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin
6
Norifumi Abe
All
10
José Luis Cardoso
All
Source: [6]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
All entries use Michelin tyres.
250cc participants [ ]
Team
Constructor
Motorcycle
No.
Rider
Rounds
MS Aprilia Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
5
Marco Melandri
All
31
Tetsuya Harada
All
34
Marcellino Lucchi
3, 5
Valência Circuit - Aspar Team
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
6
Álex Debón
All
10
Fonsi Nieto
All
Telefónica MoviStar Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
7
Emilio Alzamora
All
74
Daijiro Kato
All
Petronas Sprinta Yamaha TVK
Yamaha
8
Naoki Matsudo
All
18
Shahrol Yuzy
All
Yamaha Kurz (rd 1-9) Dark Dog Yamaha Kurz (rd 10-16)
Yamaha
9
Sebastián Porto
All
23
Cesar Barros
All
Aprilia Grand Prix
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
11
1-2, 4-16
99
Jeremy McWilliams
1-5
MS Aprilia Racing (Germany)
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
12
1-12
55
13-16
99
Jeremy McWilliams
6-16
Shell Advance Honda
Honda
Honda NSR250
14
Katja Poensgen
11-16
MS Eros Ramazzotti Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
15
Roberto Locatelli
All
21
Franco Battaini
All
By Queroseno Racing Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
26
Iván Silva
2
39
3-16
85
16
Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
19
1-4
22
José David de Gea
All
36
5-16
PR2 Metrored / PR2 - Damas
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
20
1-15
Honda
Honda NSR250
41
3, 11-12, 16
QUB Team Optimum
Yamaha
24
10-16
Tecmas Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
25
9
Edo Racing
Yamaha
55
1-5, 7-9
27
Shaun Geronimi
15-16
46
Taro Sekiguchi
6, 10-14
80
10
Campetella Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
37
Luca Boscoscuro
All
57
Lorenzo Lanzi
All
Kolmer Racing Team
Yamaha
38
Álvaro Molina
3, 6, 12
BRT Ismael Bonilla
Honda
Honda NSR250
39
3
Team Fomma
Honda
Honda NSR250
42
David Checa
All
Construcciones CM
Honda
Honda NSR250
43
12
Safilo Oxydo Race
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
44
Roberto Rolfo
All
FCC-TSR
Honda
Honda NSR250
45
2-11
1
47
1
Fujitsu Siemens
Yamaha
45
12-16
Club Ventis
Yamaha
46
Taro Sekiguchi
1
Team Kotake RSC
Honda
Honda NSR250
48
1
Hitman RC Koshien Yamaha
Yamaha
49
1
Équipe de France - Scrab GP
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
50
Sylvain Guintoli
All
81
Randy de Puniet
All
Privest Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
51
2
Équipe de France
Honda
Honda NSR250
52
4
64
Hugo Marchand
4
Ouvrard Racing Team
Yamaha
53
4
Bentin Motorsport
Honda
Honda NSR250
54
4
Fouloi Racing Team
Yamaha
56
4
Right Track Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
58
8
Team Jackson
Honda
Honda NSR250
59
8
Car Centre Nijmegen
Honda
Honda NSR250
60
7
Performance Racing
Yamaha
61
7
Cruise America Grand Prix Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
62
Jason Di Salvo
7-8, 10
M.R.T.T. Hugen Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
63
7
Dark Dog Racing Factory (rd 1-9) Racing Factory (rd 10-16)
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
66
Alex Hofmann
All
98
Katja Poensgen
1-9
EPS Racing
Yamaha
67
8
Monster Mob
Honda
Honda NSR250
68
Stuart Easton
8
TZM Sport
Honda
Honda NSR250
70
11
Team Motorsport Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
71
11
PS Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
72
11-12
Freundenberg Racing Team
Yamaha
75
Dirk Heidolf
9
Kiefer Castrol Honda Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
76
9
77
9
ADAC Sachsen
Honda
Honda NSR250
78
Max Neukirchner
9
MSC Schleizer Dreieck
Honda
Honda NSR250
79
10
Road Racing Team Voit
Honda
Honda NSR250
82
10
Biro Racing Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
83
10, 12
Vaz Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
84
Cristiano Vieira
16
Team Harc-Pro
Honda
Honda NSR250
87
Hiroshi Aoyama
1
92
13
SP Tadao Racing Team
Yamaha
88
13
Motorex Daytona
Yamaha
89
Osamu Miyazaki
13
Endurance
Honda
Honda NSR250
90
13
Morino Kumasan Miztec. RT
Yamaha
91
13
Impact Racing
Yamaha
93
14
RGV Spares
Yamaha
94
14
97
Josh Brookes
14
Allect Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
95
14
Turramurra Cyclery Racing
Yamaha
96
14
Source: [7]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
125cc participants [ ]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
Standings [ ]
500cc riders' standings [ ]
[9]
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
250cc riders' standings [ ]
[10]
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
125cc riders' standings [ ]
[11]
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
500cc manufacturers' standings [ ]
250cc manufacturers' standings [ ]
125cc manufacturers' standings [ ]
Pos
Manufacturer
JPN
RSA
ESP
FRA
ITA
CAT
NED
GBR
GER
CZE
POR
VAL
PAC
AUS
MAL
RIO
Pts
1
Honda
1
5
1
2
4
2
1
2
2
1
3
2
3
3
4
3
301
2
Aprilia
3
4
2
4
2
1
3
5
1
2
4
5
4
5
3
2
263
3
Gilera
5
2
Ret
1
3
3
Ret
3
3
Ret
1
1
2
2
2
5
241
4
Derbi
2
1
Ret
11
18
5
Ret
1
19
4
2
4
1
1
1
1
232
5
-Honda
Ret
3
4
7
1
Ret
4
23
DNS
12
Ret
Ret
Ret
11
11
13
94
6
Italjet
13
11
12
Ret
Ret
11
12
Ret
16
Ret
18
12
9
16
13
9
42
ERP Honda
22
0
Rieju
Ret
0
E-NER
Ret
0
Pos.
Manufacturer
JPN
RSA
ESP
FRA
ITA
CAT
NED
GBR
GER
CZE
POR
VAL
PAC
AUS
MAL
RIO
Pts
References [ ]
Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons
MotoGP Moto2 Moto3 MotoE