Toni Elías

Toni Elías
Elías at the 2010 Australian Grand Prix.
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1983-03-26) 26 March 1983 Manresa, Catalonia
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2005–2009, 2011–2012, 2015 Manufacturers Yamaha, Honda, Ducati, Yamaha Forward 2015 championship position 27th (2 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 105 1 6 0 3 574 Moto2 World Championship Active years 2010, 2012–2013 Manufacturers Moriwaki, Suter, Kalex Championships 1 (2010) 2013 championship position 18th (22 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 41 7 8 3 2 343 250cc World Championship Active years 2002–2004 Manufacturers Aprilia, Honda Championships 0 2004 championship position 4th Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 48 7 20 5 6 603 125cc World Championship Active years 1999–2001 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 2001 championship position 3rd Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 35 2 9 4 1 243 Superbike World Championship Active years 2013–present Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 0 2014 championship position 9th (171 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 32 0 0 0 0 241

Antonio "Toni" Elías Justícia (born 26 March 1983) is a professional motorcycle racer and inaugural champion of the Moto2 World Championship. He is the third member of the Elías family to compete in motorcycle racing.

Career

Elías testing at Sepang in 2007.

Born in Manresa, Catalonia,^[1] Elías started racing in the 125cc World Championship in 2000 at the age of 17, finishing 3rd in 2001 and taking his first win in the Dutch TT at the prestigious Assen circuit. He went to 250s for 2002, finishing 4th that year, 3rd a year later, and 4th in 2004.

In 2005 he entered MotoGP for Fortuna Yamaha. In 2006 and 2007 his Fortuna backing has got him a ride for Gresini Honda alongside 2005 runner-up Marco Melandri. He only took one podium in 2006, albeit his first, and so far only, win in the top category. After a podium in the first half of 2007 he crashed at Assen, breaking his leg, sabotaging his season. He managed to make a return to the podium at Motegi.

After spending the 2008 season with the Alice Ducati team, Elias returned to Gresini Honda for 2009, replacing Shinya Nakano to ride alongside Alex de Angelis.^[2]

For 2010 he moved down to the new Moto2 class, on a Moriwaki bike for Gresini. He was competitive in pre-season testing before a heavy crash threatened to derail his status as title favourite.^[3] He was victorious at Le Mans after a chaotic race also led by Alex Debón and Jules Cluzel.^[4] He claimed the lead in the championship following this win, and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the season, clinching the inaugural Moto2 World Championship at the Malaysian Grand Prix with three rounds to spare.^[5]

He returned to the MotoGP grid in 2011 with Team LCR, riding a Honda RC212V.^[6] 2011 heralded his worst season in the MotoGP class, scoring only 61 points and finishing 15th in the Championship. He left Team LCR, and will return to Moto2 in 2012 with the Aspar Racing Team, a team he rode for in the 250cc class. After Mugello race team and rider ended his relationship.

Return to Pramac Ducati

On 24 July 2012, Pramac Ducati announced that Elias would replace the injured Hector Barbera until he was deemed fit to race. He raced a Satellite version of the GP12. At Laguna Seca he qualified 17th and retired during the race. He was scheduled to ride at Indianapolis but Barbera decided he wanted to return early, however Barbera suffered a high-side in Practice and injured his leg once more. Elias substituted for him until San Marino.

First MotoGP victory

Elías won his first premier class race on 15 October 2006 with a fantastic final lap of the Portuguese MotoGP at Estoril. Elías had started the lap in third place, but an aggressive braking move into Curva 1, moved him past Valentino Rossi and the then-leader Kenny Roberts, Jr. into the lead. He actually clipped Roberts while braking, and this loss of momentum meant that Rossi passed Roberts for second position. These positions held until the chicane (turns 9 and 10) near the end of the lap. It looked like Elías had left the door wide open for Rossi and sure enough, the reigning world champion dived to the inside to pass the Spaniard. However, Elías would keep pressuring Rossi, trying to pass him on the run towards turns 11 and 12. Rossi had the line and kept the position, and it seemed as if Rossi would be 13 points clear of title rival Nicky Hayden going to the final round in Valencia. But Elías kept the speed up through the thirteenth and final turn, and tucked in behind Rossi, to draft him alongside the Italian. In a finish that needed a video replay, Elías was given the race by just 0.002 seconds. It was one of the closest finishes in the history of MotoGP, and a great way for Elías to secure his maiden premier class victory. This victory helped secure him a contract extension, which was doubtful prior to the win at Estoril, with Honda and Fausto Gresini for the 2007 Moto GP season. As of 2016, Elías was the last non-factory backed rider to win a race.

As it turned out, Elías' victory cost Rossi five points, which was the exact number of points that Rossi would finish behind Hayden in the Championship standings.

Career statistics

Elías on a Honda RC212V at the 2009 Dutch TT.

Grand Prix racing

All statistics according to MotoGP.com^[7]

By season

By class

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

• * Season still in progress.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toni Elías.

• Official website