2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

The 2003 Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 2003 MotoGP Championship. It took place on the weekend of 4–6 April 2003 at Suzuka. The meeting was overshadowed by the death of Daijiro Kato in the MotoGP race, after he crashed at 130R and hit the barrier at high speed in the ensuing Casio Triangle. Since the accident, Suzuka has been removed from the MotoGP calendar, with the Japanese Grand Prix having been moved to Twin Ring Motegi, the previous home of the Pacific Grand Prix.

  2003 Japanese Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 16 races in the
2003 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date6 April 2003
Official nameSKYY vodka Grand Prix of Japan
LocationSuzuka Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 5.824 km (3.619 mi)
MotoGP
Pole position
Rider Valentino Rossi Honda
Time 2:06.838
Fastest lap
Rider Valentino Rossi Honda
Time 2:04.970 on lap 6
Podium
First Valentino Rossi Honda
Second Max Biaggi Honda
Third Loris Capirossi Ducati
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Hiroshi Aoyama Honda
Time 2:17.930
Fastest lap
Rider Hiroshi Aoyama Honda
Time 2:09.839 on lap 17
Podium
First Manuel Poggiali Aprilia
Second Hiroshi Aoyama Honda
Third Yuki Takahashi Honda
125 cc
Pole position
Rider Alex de Angelis Aprilia
Time 2:15.417
Fastest lap
Rider Stefano Perugini Aprilia
Time 2:14.282 on lap 6
Podium
First Stefano Perugini Aprilia
Second Mirko Giansanti Aprilia
Third Steve Jenkner Aprilia
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.