2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
This article recaps the 2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing 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.
The 500 cc Rookie of the Year award went to Shinya Nakano.[1]
Grands Prix
Standings
Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. 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 |
Riders' standings
- Rounds marked with a light blue background were under wet race conditions or stopped by rain.
500cc
Results as follows[2][3]
|
Colour | Result |
Gold | Winner |
Silver | 2nd place |
Bronze | 3rd place |
Green | Points finish |
Blue | Non-points finish |
Non-classified finish (NC) |
Purple | Did not finish (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 participate |
Excluded (EX) |
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap |
250cc
Result as follows[4][5]
|
Colour | Result |
Gold | Winner |
Silver | 2nd place |
Bronze | 3rd place |
Green | Points finish |
Blue | Non-points finish |
Non-classified finish (NC) |
Purple | Did not finish (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 participate |
Excluded (EX) |
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap |
125cc
Result as follows[6][7]
|
Colour | Result |
Gold | Winner |
Silver | 2nd place |
Bronze | 3rd place |
Green | Points finish |
Blue | Non-points finish |
Non-classified finish (NC) |
Purple | Did not finish (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 participate |
Excluded (EX) |
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap |
Manufacturers' standings
500cc
250cc
125cc
Participants
500cc participants
Team |
Constructor |
Motorcycle |
No |
Rider |
Rounds |
Telefónica Movistar Suzuki |
Suzuki |
Suzuki RGV500 (XRB1) |
1 |
Kenny Roberts, Jr. |
All |
15 |
Sete Gibernau |
All |
33 |
Akira Ryo |
1 |
64 |
Yukio Kagayama |
13 |
Marlboro Yamaha Team |
Yamaha |
Yamaha YZR500 (OWL6) |
3 |
Max Biaggi |
All |
7 |
Carlos Checa |
1, 3–16 |
West Honda Pons |
Honda |
Honda NSR500 |
4 |
Alex Barros |
All |
65 |
Loris Capirossi |
All |
Red Bull Yamaha WCM |
Yamaha |
Yamaha YZR500 |
5 |
Garry McCoy |
1–4, 6–7, 9–16 |
41 |
Noriyuki Haga |
All |
24 |
Jason Vincent |
8 |
Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin |
Yamaha |
Yamaha YZR500 |
6 |
Norifumi Abe |
All |
10 |
José Luis Cardoso |
All |
Shell Advance Honda |
Honda |
Honda NSR500 |
8 |
Chris Walker |
1–8 |
9 |
Leon Haslam |
9–16 |
Honda NSR500V |
1–4, 6–8 |
18 |
Brendan Clarke |
9–16 |
Repsol YPF Honda Team |
Honda |
Honda NSR500 |
11 |
Tohru Ukawa |
All |
28 |
Àlex Crivillé |
All |
Arie Molenaar Racing |
Honda |
Honda NSR500V |
12 |
Haruchika Aoki |
1–3, 5–16 |
32 |
Jarno Janssen |
4 |
Dee Cee Jeans Racing |
Honda |
Honda NSR500V |
14 |
Marcus Payten |
1 |
21 |
Barry Veneman |
1–5, 7–16 |
14 |
Anthony West |
2–16 |
Sabre Sport |
Sabre |
Sabre V4 |
16 |
Johan Stigefelt |
1–15 |
Proton Team KR |
Proton KR |
Proton KR3 |
17 |
Jurgen van den Goorbergh |
All |
80 |
Kurtis Roberts |
15 |
Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 |
Yamaha |
Yamaha YZR500 |
19 |
Olivier Jacque |
1–4, 6–16 |
56 |
Shinya Nakano |
All |
Pulse GP |
Pulse |
Pulse 500 |
24 |
Jason Vincent |
1–7, 9 |
68 |
Mark Willis |
1–8 |
Paton Grand Prix Slovnaft-Paton Grand Prix |
Paton |
Paton PG500RC |
25 |
Shaun Geronimi |
10 |
26 |
Vladimir Častka |
3, 5 |
27 |
Sébastien Gimbert |
8 |
By Queroseno Racing |
Honda |
Honda NSR500V |
37 |
Miguel Tey |
12 |
Nastro Azzurro Honda |
Honda |
Honda NSR500 |
46 |
Valentino Rossi |
All |
|
Key |
Regular Rider |
Wildcard Rider |
Replacement Rider |
|
250cc participants
|
Key |
Regular Rider |
Wildcard Rider |
Replacement Rider |
|
125cc participants
|
Key |
Regular Rider |
Wildcard Rider |
Replacement Rider |
|
'
References