2001 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season


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. As of 2019, it was the last season where a non-factory rider won the rider championship title in the premier class.
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 2020, it was the last year where a single constructor won the championship in all three categories.

2001 Grand Prix season calendar

The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2001:
RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit
18 April Grand Prix of JapanSuzuka Circuit
222 April Gauloises Africa's Grand PrixPhakisa Freeway
36 May Gran Premio Marlboro de EspañaCircuito de Jerez
420 May Grand Prix Polini de FranceBugatti Circuit
53 June Gran Premio Cinzano d'ItaliaMugello Circuit
617 June Gran Premi Marlboro de CatalunyaCircuit de Catalunya
730 June †† Gauloises Dutch TTAssen
88 July Cinzano British Grand PrixDonington Park
922 July Cinzano Motorrad Grand Prix DeutschlandSachsenring
1026 August Gauloises Grand Prix České republikyBrno Circuit
119 September Grande Premio Marlboro de PortugalAutódromo do Estoril
1223 September Gran Premio Marlboro Comunitat ValencianaCircuit Ricardo Tormo
137 October Pacific Grand Prix of MotegiTwin Ring Motegi
1414 October Qantas Australian Grand PrixPhillip Island Circuit
1521 October Malaysian Motorcycle Grand PrixSepang International Circuit
163 November Cinzano Rio Grand PrixAutódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet

†† = Saturday race

Calendar changes

†† = Saturday race

Participants

500cc participants

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.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th
Points252016131110987654321

250cc riders' standings

;Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th
Points252016131110987654321

125cc riders' standings

;Scoring system
Points were awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider had to finish the race to earn points.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th 11th 12th 13th 14th 15th
Points252016131110987654321

500cc manufacturers' standings

250cc manufacturers' standings

125cc manufacturers' standings

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