The 2000 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 52nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary Kenny Roberts Jr. fulfilled the promise of his 2nd place in 1999 by winning the championship for 2000 with 2 races to spare. The season also saw the premier class-debut of Valentino Rossi, who began the year with crashes in the first two rounds and also had a third at Valencia; nonetheless, he came in second as a rookie in the class with 2 wins and 8 podiums. Garry McCoy achieved 3 wins with his spectacular 2-wheel sliding style, and his use of tires began a general transition to that size, though it had been used previously in 500 cc by Kevin Schwantz. It was the last time a Suzuki rider clinched the title until Joan Mir secured his maiden title in 2020 edition.
Defending champion Àlex Crivillé had a disappointing season, bothered by an undetermined illness and a new NSR engine with a power curve that was difficult to manage. Said Jeremy Burgess: "In the middle of the corner, in the transition of getting back onto the power, the engine was weak, because all the power had gone to the top. You couldn't transfer the weight with the throttle from the front to the rear without feeling this weakness. That led to a tendency to over-open the throttle... and things would happen." By the third round, Honda started going back to much of the 1999 parts, though Rossi and Burgess decided to use the 2000 chassis with the 1999 engine.Scott, M. "Dancing With Dinosaurs," page 46. Motocourse 2000-2001. Richmond, Hazleton Publishing Ltd., 2000.
2000 Grand Prix season calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2000:
RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit 1 19 March Gauloises Africa's Grand Prix Phakisa Freeway 2 2 April Malaysian Grand Prix Sepang International Circuit 3 9 April Marlboro Grand Prix of Japan Suzuka Circuit 4 30 April Gran Premio Marlboro de España Circuito Permanente de Jerez 5 14 May Grand Prix Polini de France Bugatti Circuit 6 28 May Gran Premio Cinzano d'Italia Mugello Circuit 7 11 June Gran Premi Marlboro de Catalunya Circuit de Catalunya 8 24 June †† Rizla Dutch TT TT Circuit Assen 9 9 July Cinzano British Grand Prix Donington Park 10 23 July Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland Sachsenring 11 20 August Gauloises Grand Prix České Republiky Brno Circuit 12 3 September Grande Prémio Marlboro de Portugal Autódromo do Estoril 13 17 September Grand Prix Marlboro de la Comunitat Valenciana Circuit de Valencia 14 7 October †† Cinzano Rio Grand Prix Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet 15 15 October Pacific Grand Prix of Motegi Twin Ring Motegi 16 29 October Qantas Australian Grand Prix Phillip Island
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes The South African Grand Prix was moved from 10 October to 19 March. The French Grand Prix moved from the Circuit Paul Ricard to the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans' Bugatti Circuit. The Australian Grand Prix was moved back from 3 to 29 October. The Portuguese Grand Prix returned on the calendar since 1987 (when it was held on the Spanish Circuito Permanente de Jerez instead) after it was homologated for motorcycle racing. The Pacific Grand Prix was also added to the calendar; consequently the Japanese Grand Prix returned to Suzuka, as the Pacific Grand Prix was hosted as Motegi, an arrangement that lasted until 2003. The City of Imola Grand Prix and Argentine Grand Prix were taken off the calendar.
2000 Grand Prix season results Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 500cc winner Report 1 19 March South African motorcycle Grand Prix Phakisa Arnaud Vincent Shinya Nakano Garry McCoy Report 2 2 April Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix Sepang Roberto Locatelli Shinya Nakano Kenny Roberts Jr. Report 3 9 April Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Suzuka Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Norick Abe Report 4 30 April Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix Jerez Emilio Alzamora Ralf Waldmann Kenny Roberts Jr. Report 5 14 May French motorcycle Grand Prix Le Mans Youichi Ui Tohru Ukawa Àlex Crivillé Report 6 28 May Italian motorcycle Grand Prix Mugello Roberto Locatelli Shinya Nakano Loris Capirossi Report 7 11 June Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix Catalunya Simone Sanna Olivier Jacque Kenny Roberts Jr. Report 8 24 June †† Dutch TT Assen Youichi Ui Tohru Ukawa Alex Barros Report 9 9 July British motorcycle Grand Prix Donington Youichi Ui Ralf Waldmann Valentino Rossi Report 10 23 July German motorcycle Grand Prix Sachsenring Youichi Ui Olivier Jacque Alex Barros Report 11 20 August Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix Brno Roberto Locatelli Shinya Nakano Max Biaggi Report 12 3 September Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix Estoril Emilio Alzamora Daijiro Kato Garry McCoy Report 13 17 September Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix Valencia Roberto Locatelli Shinya Nakano Garry McCoy Report 14 7 October †† Rio de Janeiro motorcycle Grand Prix Rio de Janeiro Simone Sanna Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 15 15 October Pacific motorcycle Grand Prix Motegi Roberto Locatelli Daijiro Kato Kenny Roberts Jr. Report 16 29 October Australian motorcycle Grand Prix Phillip Island Masao Azuma Olivier Jacque Max Biaggi Report
†† = Saturday race
Participants
500cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleTyresNo.RiderRounds / Proton Team KR Modenas KR3 11 José David de Gea 1–8, 13 30 Anthony Gobert 9 27 Luca Cadalora 10–11 68 Mark Willis 12, 14–16 Aprilia Grand Prix RacingBlu Aprilia Team Aprilia RSW-2 500 31 Tetsuya Harada All 99 Jeremy McWilliams All BSL BSL BSL 500 V3 36 Stephen Briggs 15–16 Repsol YPF Honda Team Honda NSR500 1 Àlex Crivillé All 5 Sete Gibernau All 8 Tadayuki Okada All Emerson Honda Pons 10 Alex Barros All 65 Loris Capirossi All Nastro Azzurro Honda 46 Valentino Rossi All Tecmas Honda Elf NSR500V 22 Sébastien Gimbert 1–4 18 Sebastien Le Grelle 5–14 56 Tekkyu Kayoh 15–16 Sabre Sport 12 Shane Norval 1–4, 7 21 Ron Haslam 5 23 Callum Ramsay 6 20 Phil Giles 8–13 33 David Tomas 14–16 Maxon Dee Cee Jeans 25 José Luis Cardoso 1–4, 6–7, 9–16 Demon Vimto Honda 26 John McGuinness 9 Queroseno Racing Team 33 David Tomás 13 Team Paton Paton PG500RC 43 Paolo Tessari 6, 10–13 Telefónica Movistar Suzuki Suzuki RGV500 (XRB0) 2 Kenny Roberts Jr. All 9 Nobuatsu Aoki All Team Suzuki 19 Akira Ryō 3 Technical Sports RacingF.C.C. TSR TSR-Honda AC50M 15 Yoshiteru Konishi 1–9, 11–16 56 Tekkyu Kayoh 10 Rizla Honda 17 Jurgen van den Goorbergh All Marlboro Yamaha Team Yamaha YZR500 (OWK6) 4 Max Biaggi All 7 Carlos Checa All Red Bull Yamaha WCM 24 Garry McCoy All 55 Régis Laconi All Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin 6 Norifumi Abe All Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
250cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds Shell Advance Honda Team Honda Honda NSR250 4 Tohru Ukawa All 14 Anthony West All /Aprilia Germany Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 6 Ralf Waldmann All 26 Klaus Nöhles All Petronas Sprinta Team TVK Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 8 Naoki Matsudo All 18 Shahrol Yuzy All Edo RacingYamahaYamaha YZR 250 9 Sebastián Porto All Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 10 Fonsi Nieto All 31 Lucas Oliver Bultó 1–2, 4–16 32 Taro Sekiguchi 3 Campetella RacingApriliaAprilia RSV 250 11 Ivan Clementi All Yamaha Kurz Aral Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 12 Mike Baldinger 1–3 23 Julien Allemand 4–16 78 Dirk Reissmann 10 Aprilia Grand Prix RacingBlu Aprilia Team Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 13/35 Marco Melandri All 34 Marcellino Lucchi 4, 6–7 QUB Team Optimum Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 15 Adrian Coates All 77 Jamie Robinson All Dee Cee Jeans Racing TeamTSR-HondaHonda NSR250 16 Johan Stigefelt All Chesterfield Yamaha Tech 3 Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 19 Olivier Jacque All 56 Shinya Nakano All CC Valencia Airtel Aspar Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 20 Jerónimo Vidal 4, 7 30 Alex Debón All Motoracing BattainiApriliaAprilia RSV 250 21 Franco Battaini All Tino Villa Racing TSR-Honda Honda NSR250 22 Sébastien Gimbert 5–16 44 Roberto Rolfo 1–4 Padgetts M/C SalesApriliaAprilia RSV 250 24 Jason Vincent All AXO Honda Gresini TSR-Honda Honda NSR250 25 Vincent Philippe 1–6, 8–16 27 Fabrizio de Marco 7 74 Daijiro Kato All PR2 - Circuito de Almería Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 20 Jerónimo Vidal10–16 54 David García 1–7 Honda Honda NSR250 33 David Tomás 9 Queroseno Racing Team Honda Honda NSR250 33 David Tomás 7–8 D&B BradgateHondaHonda NSR250 34 Gary Haslam 9 Diesel Vasco Rossi RacingApriliaAprilia RSV 250 37 Luca Boscoscuro All Echo Racing Team TSR-Honda Honda NSR250 38 Álvaro Molina 7, 12–13 BRT-Ismael Bonilla Honda Honda NSR250 39 Ismael Bonilla 4, 13 Team Costa Azahar Honda Honda NSR250 40 David Ortega 4 Rizla HondaTSR-HondaHonda NSR250 41 Jarno Janssen All Team FommaTSR-HondaHonda NSR250 42 David Checa All Racing Factory ApriliaAprilia RSV 250 44 Roberto Rolfo 7–10, 15–16 66 Alex Hofmann 1–6, 11–14 FCC Castrol TSR TSR-Honda Honda NSR250 47 Tekkyu Kayoh 3 Team KotakeHondaHonda NSR250 48 Shinichi Nakatomi3, 15 Motorex DaytonaYamahaYamaha YZR 250 49 Osamu Miyazaki3, 15 SP Tadao Racing TeamYamahaYamaha YZR 250 50 Nobuyuki Ohsaki3 Endurance Honda Honda NSR250 51 Daisaku Sakai 3 Equipe de France Honda Honda NSR250 52 Julien da Costa 5 55 Sylvain Guintoli 5 Sport Moto Developpement Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 53 Éric Dubray 5 Bentin Racing Honda Honda NSR250 57 Hervé Mora 5 Y.V.R.F. Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 58 Bruno Vecchioni 5 Filart Racing Honda Honda NSR250 61 Rob Filart 8 MRTT Hugen Racing Honda Honda NSR250 62 Jan Blok 8 63 Arnold Litjens 8 Megacon Honda Honda NSR250 64 Gert Pieper 8 Vaz Racing Honda Honda NSR250 67 César Barros 14 / BRT - Honda Brazil Honda Honda NSR250 68 Cristiano Vieira 14 Earnshaws Motorcycles Honda Honda NSR250 70 Tom Tunstall 9 Padgets Batley / Team Jacks Honda Honda NSR250 72 Lee Jackson 9 TW2 e-commerce Systems Honda Honda NSR250 73 Jason Davis 9 Docshop Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 75 Matthias Neukirchen 10 Team Freudenberg Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 76 Dirk Heidolf 10 Palatina Racing Honda Honda NSR250 79 Andreas Göbel 10 Kiefer GmbH Racing Honda Honda NSR250 80 Christian Gemmel 10 Klub Racing Team Znojmo Honda Honda NSR250 81 Radomil Rous 11 Slovnaft Sport Moto Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 82 Vladimír Častka 11 Remus Racing Austria Honda Honda NSR250 83 Uwe Bolterauer 11 84 Michael Witzeneder 11 Cose Da Mota/Moto Jornal Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 85 Felisberto Teixeira 12 VP Motos Ciclo Do Areeiro Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 86 Vicente Esparragoso 12 Pablo Antelo RMT Honda Honda NSR250 87 Pablo Antelo 12 Team 2000 PenguinHondaHonda NSR250 88 Yasumasa Hatakeyama15 Harc-Pro HondaHondaHonda NSR250 89 Hiroshi Aoyama15 Sofukai Suzuka Racing/Meiw Honda Honda NSR250 90 Yoshinori Korogi 15 RGV Spares Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 91 Shaun Geronimi 16 DMR Honda Honda NSR250 92 Jason Boyle 16 Clive Carter Motorcycles Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 93 Terry Carter 16 Harding Print Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 94 Steven Torresi 16 Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
125cc participants