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'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. It was the last season where an independent team rider won the rider championship title in the premier class, until 2024, which was won by Jorge Martín, riding for Pramac Racing.
The 500 cc Rookie of the Year award went to Shinya Nakano. At the 2001 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix, Katja Poensgen became the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.
As of 2024, 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:
RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit 1 8 April Grand Prix of Japan Suzuka Circuit 2 22 April Gauloises Africa's Grand Prix Phakisa Freeway 3 6 May Gran Premio Marlboro de España Circuito de Jerez 4 20 May Grand Prix Polini de France Bugatti Circuit 5 3 June Gran Premio Cinzano d'Italia Mugello Circuit 6 17 June Gran Premi Marlboro de Catalunya Circuit de Catalunya 7 30 June †† Gauloises Dutch TT Assen 8 8 July Cinzano British Grand Prix Donington Park 9 22 July Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland Sachsenring 10 26 August Gauloises Grand Prix České republiky Brno Circuit 11 9 September Grande Premio Marlboro de Portugal Autódromo do Estoril 12 23 September Gran Premio Marlboro Comunitat Valenciana Circuit Ricardo Tormo 13 7 October Pacific Grand Prix of Motegi Twin Ring Motegi 14 14 October Qantas Australian Grand Prix Phillip Island Circuit 15 21 October Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix Sepang International Circuit 16 3 November †† Cinzano Rio Grand Prix Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes The South African Grand Prix 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 was moved back, from 2 April to 21 October.
2001 Grand Prix seasons results Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 500cc winner Report 1 8 April Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix Suzuka Masao Azuma Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 2 22 April South African motorcycle Grand Prix Phakisa Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 3 6 May Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix Jerez Masao Azuma Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 4 20 May French motorcycle Grand Prix Le Mans Manuel Poggiali Daijiro Kato Max Biaggi Report 5 3 June Italian motorcycle Grand Prix Mugello Noboru Ueda Tetsuya Harada Alex Barros Report 6 17 June Catalan motorcycle Grand Prix Catalunya Lucio Cecchinello Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 7 30 June †† Dutch TT Assen Toni Elías Jeremy McWilliams Max Biaggi Report 8 8 July British motorcycle Grand Prix Donington Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 9 22 July German motorcycle Grand Prix Sachsenring Simone Sanna Marco Melandri Max Biaggi Report 10 26 August Czech Republic motorcycle Grand Prix Brno Toni Elías Tetsuya Harada Valentino Rossi Report 11 9 September Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix Estoril Manuel Poggiali Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 12 23 September Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix Valencia Manuel Poggiali Daijiro Kato Sete Gibernau Report 13 7 October Pacific motorcycle Grand Prix Motegi Youichi Ui Tetsuya Harada Valentino Rossi Report 14 14 October Australian motorcycle Grand Prix Phillip Island Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 15 21 October Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix Sepang Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report 16 3 November †† Rio de Janeiro motorcycle Grand Prix Rio de Janeiro Youichi Ui Daijiro Kato Valentino Rossi Report
†† = Saturday race
Participants
500cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds Repsol YPF Honda Team Honda NSR500 11 Tohru Ukawa All 28 Àlex Crivillé All West Honda Pons 4 Alex Barros All 65 Loris Capirossi All Nastro Azzurro Honda 46 Valentino Rossi All Shell Advance Honda 8 Chris Walker 1–8 9 Leon Haslam 9–16 NSR500V 1–4, 6–8 18 Brendan Clarke 9–16 Arie Molenaar Racing 12 Haruchika Aoki 1–3, 5–16 32 Jarno Janssen 4 Dee Cee Jeans Racing 14 Marcus Payten 1 14 Anthony West 2–16 21 Barry Veneman 1–5, 7–16 By Queroseno Racing 37 Miguel Tey 12 Paton Grand PrixSlovnaft-Paton Grand Prix Paton PG500RC 25 Shaun Geronimi 10 26 Vladimír Častka 3, 5 27 Sébastien Gimbert 8 / Proton Team KR Proton KR KR3 17 Jurgen van den Goorbergh All 80 Kurtis Roberts 15 Pulse GP Pulse 500 24 Jason Vincent 1–7, 9 68 Mark Willis 1–8 Sabre Sport Sabre Sabre V4 16 Johan Stigefelt 1–15 Telefónica Movistar Suzuki Suzuki RGV500 (XRB1) 1 Kenny Roberts Jr. All 15 Sete Gibernau All 33 Akira Ryō 1 64 Yukio Kagayama 13 Marlboro Yamaha Team Yamaha YZR500 (OWL6) 3 Max Biaggi All 7 Carlos Checa 1, 3–16 Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 19 Olivier Jacque 1–4, 6–16 56 Shinya Nakano All Red Bull Yamaha WCM 5 Garry McCoy 1–4, 6–7, 9–16 24 Jason Vincent 8 41 Noriyuki Haga All Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin 6 Norifumi Abe All 10 José Luis Cardoso All Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
All entries used Michelin tyres.
250cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds MS Aprilia Racing Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 5 Marco Melandri All 31 Tetsuya Harada All 34 Marcellino Lucchi 3, 5 Valência Circuit - Aspar Team Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 6 Álex Debón All 10 Fonsi Nieto All Telefónica MoviStar Honda Honda Honda NSR250 7 Emilio Alzamora All 74 Daijiro Kato All Petronas Sprinta Yamaha TVK Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 8 Naoki Matsudo All 18 Shahrol Yuzy All Yamaha Kurz (rd 1-9)Dark Dog Yamaha Kurz (rd 10-16) Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 9 Sebastián Porto All 23 Cesar Barros All Aprilia Grand Prix Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 11 Riccardo Chiarello 1–2, 4–16 99 Jeremy McWilliams 1–5 / MS Aprilia Racing (Germany) Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 12 Klaus Nöhles 1–12 55 Diego Giugovaz 13–16 99 Jeremy McWilliams 6–16 By Queroseno Racing Team Honda Honda NSR250 16 David Tomás 1, 3–16 26 Iván Silva 2 85 Rafael Da Cunha 16 Shell Advance Honda Honda Honda NSR250 14 Katja Poensgen 11–16 MS Eros Ramazzotti Racing Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 15 Roberto Locatelli All 21 Franco Battaini All Antena 3 Yamaha d'Antin Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 19 Julien Allemand 1–4 22 José David de Gea All 36 Luis Costa 5–16 PR2 Metrored / PR2 - Damas Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 20 Jerónimo Vidal 1–15 Honda Honda NSR250 41 Damaso Nacher 3, 11–12, 16 QUB Team Optimum Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 24 Jason Vincent 10–16 Tecmas Racing Honda Honda NSR250 25 Vincent Philippe 9 Edo Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 55 Diego Giugovaz 1–5, 7–9 27 Shaun Geronimi 15–16 46 Taro Sekiguchi 6, 10–14 80 Vladimir Častka 10 Campetella Racing Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 37 Luca Boscoscuro All 57 Lorenzo Lanzi All Kolmer Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 38 Álvaro Molina 3, 6, 12 BRT Ismael Bonilla Honda Honda NSR250 39 Ismael Bonilla 3 Team Fomma Honda Honda NSR250 42 David Checa All Construcciones CM Honda Honda NSR250 43 Isaac Martín 12 Safilo Oxydo Race Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 44 Roberto Rolfo All FCC-TSR Honda Honda NSR250 45 Stuart Edwards 2–11 TSR-Honda 1 47 Tekkyu Kayo 1 Fujitsu Siemens Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 45 Stuart Edwards 12–16 Club Ventis Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 46 Taro Sekiguchi 1 Team Kotake RSC Honda Honda NSR250 48 Shinichi Nakatomi 1 Hitman RC Koshien Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 49 Choujun Kameya 1 Équipe de France - Scrab GP Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 50 Sylvain Guintoli All 81 Randy de Puniet All Privest Yamaha d'Antin Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 51 Jonathan Van Vuuren 2 Équipe de France Honda Honda NSR250 52 Guillaume Dietrich 4 64 Hugo Marchand 4 Ouvrard Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 53 Tom Ouvrard 4 Bentin Motorsport Honda Honda NSR250 54 Hervé Mora 4 Fouloi Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 56 David Fouloi 4 Right Track Racing Honda Honda NSR250 58 Shane Norval 8 Team Jackson Honda Honda NSR250 59 Gary Jackson 8 Car Centre Nijmegen Honda Honda NSR250 60 Gert Pieper 7 Performance Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 61 Jarno Boesveld 7 Cruise America Grand Prix Racing Honda Honda NSR250 62 Jason Di Salvo 7–8, 10 M.R.T.T. Hugen Racing Honda Honda NSR250 63 Arnold Litjens 7 Dark Dog Racing Factory (rd 1-9)Racing Factory (rd 10-16) Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 66 Alex Hofmann All 98 Katja Poensgen 1–9 EPS Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 67 Michael Herzberg 8 Monster Mob Honda Honda NSR250 68 Stuart Easton 8 TZM Sport Honda Honda NSR250 70 José Estrela 11 Team Motorsport Racing Honda Honda NSR250 71 Javier Díaz 11 PS Racing Aprilia Aprilia RSV 250 72 Michael García 11–12 Freundenberg Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 75 Dirk Heidolf 9 Kiefer Castrol Honda Racing Honda Honda NSR250 76 Christian Gemmel 9 77 Marcel Schneider 9 ADAC Sachsen Honda Honda NSR250 78 Max Neukirchner 9 MSC Schleizer Dreieck Honda Honda NSR250 79 Norman Rank 10 Road Racing Team Voit Honda Honda NSR250 82 Henrik Voit 10 Biro Racing Team Honda Honda NSR250 83 Gábor Rizmayer 10, 12 Vaz Yamaha d'Antin Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 84 Cristiano Vieira 16 Team Harc-Pro Honda Honda NSR250 87 Hiroshi Aoyama 1 92 13 SP Tadao Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 88 Nobuyuki Ohsaki 13 Motorex Daytona Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 89 Osamu Miyazaki 13 RT Endurance Honda Honda NSR250 90 Daisaku Sakai 13 Morino Kumasan Miztec. RT Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 91 Takayuki Onodera 13 Impact Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 93 Earl Lynch 14 RGV Spares Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 94 Terry Carter 14 97 Josh Brookes 14 Allect Racing Honda Honda NSR250 95 Shane Smith 14 Turramurra Cyclery Racing Yamaha Yamaha YZR 250 96 Mark Rowling 14 Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
125cc participants