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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.
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. It was the last season where an independent team rider won the rider championship title in the premier class, until 2024 , which was won by Jorge Martín , riding for Pramac Racing .
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 2023, it was the last year where a single constructor (Honda) won the championship in all three categories.
2001 Grand Prix season calendar [ edit ]
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
2001 Grand Prix seasons results [ edit ]
†† = Saturday race
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
All entries used Michelin tyres.
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
Yamaha YZR 250
8
Naoki Matsudo
All
18
Shahrol Yuzy
All
Yamaha Kurz (rd 1-9) Dark Dog Yamaha Kurz (rd 10-16)
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
9
Sebastián Porto
All
23
Cesar Barros
All
Aprilia Grand Prix
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
11
Riccardo Chiarello
1–2, 4–16
99
Jeremy McWilliams
1–5
/ MS Aprilia Racing (Germany)
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
12
Klaus Nöhles
1–12
55
Diego Giugovaz
13–16
99
Jeremy McWilliams
6–16
By Queroseno Racing Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
13
David Tomás
1, 3–16
26
Iván Silva
2
85
Rafael Da Cunha
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
Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
19
Julien Allemand
1–4
22
José David de Gea
All
36
Luis Costa
5–16
PR2 Metrored / PR2 - Damas
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
20
Jerónimo Vidal
1–15
Honda
Honda NSR250
41
Damaso Nacher
3, 11–12, 16
QUB Team Optimum
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
24
Jason Vincent
10–16
Tecmas Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
25
Vincent Philippe
9
Edo Racing
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
55
Diego Giugovaz
1–5, 7–9
27
Shaun Geronimi
15–16
46
Taro Sekiguchi
6, 10–14
80
Vladimir Častka
10
Campetella Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
37
Luca Boscoscuro
All
57
Lorenzo Lanzi
All
Kolmer Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
38
Álvaro Molina
3, 6, 12
BRT Ismael Bonilla
Honda
Honda NSR250
39
Ismael Bonilla
3
Team Fomma
Honda
Honda NSR250
42
David Checa
All
Construcciones CM
Honda
Honda NSR250
43
Isaac Martín
12
Safilo Oxydo Race
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
44
Roberto Rolfo
All
FCC-TSR
Honda
Honda NSR250
45
Stuart Edwards
2–11
TSR-Honda
1
47
Tekkyu Kayo
1
Fujitsu Siemens
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
45
Stuart Edwards
12–16
Club Ventis
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
46
Taro Sekiguchi
1
Team Kotake RSC
Honda
Honda NSR250
48
Shinichi Nakatomi
1
Hitman RC Koshien Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
49
Choujun Kameya
1
Équipe de France - Scrab GP
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
50
Sylvain Guintoli
All
81
Randy de Puniet
All
Privest Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
51
Jonathan Van Vuuren
2
Équipe de France
Honda
Honda NSR250
52
Guillaume Dietrich
4
64
Hugo Marchand
4
Ouvrard Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
53
Tom Ouvrard
4
Bentin Motorsport
Honda
Honda NSR250
54
Hervé Mora
4
Fouloi Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
56
David Fouloi
4
Right Track Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
58
Shane Norval
8
Team Jackson
Honda
Honda NSR250
59
Gary Jackson
8
Car Centre Nijmegen
Honda
Honda NSR250
60
Gert Pieper
7
Performance Racing
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
61
Jarno Boesveld
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
Arnold Litjens
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
Yamaha YZR 250
67
Michael Herzberg
8
Monster Mob
Honda
Honda NSR250
68
Stuart Easton
8
TZM Sport
Honda
Honda NSR250
70
José Estrela
11
Team Motorsport Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
71
Javier Díaz
11
PS Racing
Aprilia
Aprilia RSV 250
72
Michael García
11–12
Freundenberg Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
75
Dirk Heidolf
9
Kiefer Castrol Honda Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
76
Christian Gemmel
9
77
Marcel Schneider
9
ADAC Sachsen
Honda
Honda NSR250
78
Max Neukirchner
9
MSC Schleizer Dreieck
Honda
Honda NSR250
79
Norman Rank
10
Road Racing Team Voit
Honda
Honda NSR250
82
Henrik Voit
10
Biro Racing Team
Honda
Honda NSR250
83
Gábor Rizmayer
10, 12
Vaz Yamaha d'Antin
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
84
Cristiano Vieira
16
Team Harc-Pro
Honda
Honda NSR250
87
Hiroshi Aoyama
1
92
13
SP Tadao Racing Team
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
88
Nobuyuki Ohsaki
13
Motorex Daytona
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
89
Osamu Miyazaki
13
RT Endurance
Honda
Honda NSR250
90
Daisaku Sakai
13
Morino Kumasan Miztec. RT
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
91
Takayuki Onodera
13
Impact Racing
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
93
Earl Lynch
14
RGV Spares
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
94
Terry Carter
14
97
Josh Brookes
14
Allect Racing
Honda
Honda NSR250
95
Shane Smith
14
Turramurra Cyclery Racing
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR 250
96
Mark Rowling
14
Source:[ 7]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
500cc riders' standings[ edit ]
[ 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
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
250cc riders' standings[ edit ]
[ 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
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
125cc riders' standings[ edit ]
[ 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
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole positionItalics – Fastest lap
500cc manufacturers' standings[ edit ]
250cc manufacturers' standings[ edit ]
125cc manufacturers' standings[ edit ]