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
Valentino Rossi (; ; born 16 February 1979) is an Italian former professional motorcycle road racer and nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing World Champion. Nicknamed ''The Doctor'', he is widely considered to be one of the greatest motorcyc ...
'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
Massimiliano "Max" Biaggi (; born 26 June 1971) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer who achieved six World Championships. With four 250 cc road race titles and two in World Superbikes, he is one of only two ri ...
. 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
is a retired Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Superbike rider. He is not related to the former Formula One racer Shinji Nakano.
Career
Early career
Nakano was All-Japan 250cc champion in 1998, the highlight of a long career in b ...
. At the
2001 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix,
Katja Poensgen became the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.
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. The following sixteen Grands Prix were scheduled to take place:
: †† = Saturday race
Calendar changes
* The
South African Grand Prix
The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Cape Province. It drew top drivers from Europe including Bernd Rosemeyer, Richard "Dick" Seaman, R ...
was moved back, from 19 March to 22 April.
* The
Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix was moved back, from 7 October to 3 November.
* The
Malaysian Grand Prix
The Malaysian Grand Prix (officially the Malaysia Grand Prix from 1963–1965 and 2011–2017 and Malayan Grand Prix in 1962) was an annual auto race held in Malaysia. It was part of the Formula One World Championship from 1999 to 2017 and it ...
was moved back, from 2 April to 21 October.
2001 Grand Prix seasons results
†† = Saturday race
Participants
500cc participants
* All entries use Michelin tyres.
250cc participants
125cc participants
Standings
500cc riders' standings
;Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
250cc riders' standings
;Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
125cc riders' standings
;Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
500cc manufacturers' standings
250cc manufacturers' standings
125cc manufacturers' standings
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:2001 Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Season
Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons
MotoGP racing season