MotoGP™ modern era hits 200 at Silverstone

2013-09-01 10:26
The 2013 Hertz British Grand Prix marks a historic milestone in the history of the MotoGP™ World Championship, as Sunday’s Event will be the 200th Grand Prix held since the introduction of the new 4-stroke formula at Suzuka in 2002.

Since 2002, the MotoGP category has undergone several changes to consolidate its status as the premier championship of motorcycle road racing and one of the top international motorsport series.

Over the past 199 races, Honda has proven the most successful manufacturer with a total of 91 wins. “Honda managed to get very good results with different riders and this year we started with new talent and are very happy with our involvement in the Championship,” says HRC Vice President Shuhei Nakamoto.

“Honda tries to help Dorna make MotoGP™ grow and we also enjoy being here because we can continue to develop motorcycle technology, which can be used for future production application – and MotoGP is the best platform with which to do that. Together with the other manufacturers and Dorna, we are talking about the future of MotoGP™ and are looking forward to our continued involvement in the sport.”

Yamaha has also experienced great successes in the MotoGP™ class, with multiple Constructors’ and Riders’ titles gleaned by Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. "I was there when Dorna changed the logo and we re-introduced the new brand with the 4-stroke era,” says Lin Jarvis, Managing Director at Yamaha Motor Racing S.r.l. “Luckily, we have been very successful in that time: 200 podiums, 76 race victories and six world titles, so I think it has been a very exciting period.

“We have seen a lot of change and had highs and lows along the way. For me, one of the big differences within Yamaha since the MotoGP™ 4-stroke began is that the relevance of the racing towards our product and sales has been one of the biggest things we have experienced. MotoGP™ is now an essential part of Yamaha’s global promotion activity and we have also seen that with other manufactures. The future looks increasingly positive.”

The inception of the 4-stroke MotoGP class prompted a Ducati comeback on the Grand Prix scene in 2003, following a 30-year absence.

“Ducati decided to enter MotoGP under the new 4-stroke regulations and we have enjoyed a lot of success, getting good results from our very first campaign back in 2003,” recalls Ducati MotoGP Project Director Paolo Ciabatti. “MotoGP is where all of the manufacturers bring their top technology and top riders, so we're pleased to work alongside Dorna to make it a great Championship.”

Reflecting on the evolution of the Championship since 2002 and the growth of the MotoGP brand, Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of the MotoGP rights holders Dorna Sports, comments: “Making the decision to change to a 4-stroke formula, together with the manufacturers, was a great success and paved the way for the changes made in the lower classes, Moto2™ and Moto3™. We're pleased to have complied with the wish of the motorcycling industry, making the Championship more relevant on a technological level with the move to 4-stroke machinery, but also with the fact that the races are more spectacular. Every year we're looking at making further steps and we're expecting further success in the future, thanks to our close collaboration with the manufacturers involved.”

MotoGP Grand Prix wins by rider:

Valentino Rossi 67
Casey Stoner 38
Jorge Lorenzo 26
Dani Pedrosa 24
Sete Gibernau 8
Loris Capirossi 7
Max Biaggi 5
Marc Marquez 5
Marco Melandri 5
Alex Barros 3
Nicky Hayden 3
Makoto Tamada 2
Chris Vermeulen 1
Ben Spies 1
Toni Elias 1
Andrea Dovizioso 1
Tohru Ukawa 1

Troy Bayliss 1

Grand Prix wins by manufacturer:

Honda – 91

Yamaha - 76

Ducati – 31

Suzuki – 1

Grand Prix wins by nation:

Italy – 85 Spain – 64 Australia – 40 USA – 4 Brazil – 3 Japan – 3

• 107 different riders representing 17 different nations have competed in the MotoGP class

• 25 different circuits have hosted MotoGP Events

• Italian Valentino Rossi is the rider to have competed in most MotoGP races with 195 starts to his name, followed by Americans Colin Edwards on 179 and Nicky Hayden on 178.

• 34 different riders have finished on the podium in MotoGP

Source: motogp.com

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