Loris Capirossi
Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, 125cc and 250cc World Champion, and nine-time premier-class race winner.
Loris Capirossi (born 4 April 1973) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, currently serving as Safety Advisor to Dorna Sports, the commercial rights holder of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. He is a nine-time Premier Class race winner and was the first Grand Prix rider to start at least 300 races, having made his 300th start at the 2010 season-opener Qatar Grand Prix. Capirossi is a 125cc World Champion and a 250cc World Champion, while also holding the honor of Youngest World Champion in motorcycle racing, winning the 1990 125cc title at 17 years and 165 days old.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Italian (Bologna)
- Factory teams
- Honda (500cc; MotoGP), Ducati (500cc; MotoGP)
- World championship
- 1998 500 cc / 0.5 L
- Nickname
- "Capi"
- Riding hallmark
- Exceptional consistency; very few crashes across a long career
Lore & Background
Capirossi made his World Championship debut at 125cc level in 1990 and won the 125cc title that year. He defended the 125cc title in 1991. He moved to 250cc in 1992 and won the 250cc World Championship in 1998 after a controversial incident with teammate Tetsuya Harada in Argentina. He competed in the 500cc and MotoGP classes from 1995 onward, taking his first premier-class win with Ducati at Barcelona in 2003. He finished third overall in the 2006 MotoGP championship. He retired at the end of the 2011 season.
Reader's Guide
Capirossi's career spanned from 1990 to 2011. He won the 125cc world title in 1990 and 1991, and the 250cc world title in 1998. In the premier class, he won nine races but never won a world championship. He rode for Honda, Yamaha, Aprilia, Ducati, and Suzuki. His best premier-class championship finish was third in 2006.
Did You Know?
- Capirossi took Ducati's first MotoGP win at Barcelona in 2003.
- His race number #65 is unofficially retired from the MotoGP class, though it is still used by Moto3 rider Philipp Öttl.
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