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
Date
6 April 2003
Official name
SKYY vodka Grand Prix of Japan
Location
Suzuka 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
250cc
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
125cc
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
MotoGP classification
After the Friday timed sessions Norifumi Abe, who was already competing in the event as a wild card entry, was designated as the replacement rider for the injured Marco Melandri.
Pos.
No.
Rider
Team
Manufacturer
Laps
Time/Retired
Grid
Points
1
46
Valentino Rossi
Repsol Honda
Honda
21
44:13.182
1
25
2
3
Max Biaggi
Camel Pramac Pons
Honda
21
+6.445
2
20
3
65
Loris Capirossi
Ducati Marlboro Team
Ducati
21
+8.209
15
16
4
15
Sete Gibernau
Telefónica Movistar Honda
Honda
21
+13.209
6
13
5
12
Troy Bayliss
Ducati Marlboro Team
Ducati
21
+23.099
13
11
6
45
Colin Edwards
Alice Aprilia Racing
Aprilia
21
+29.040
9
10
7
69
Nicky Hayden
Repsol Honda
Honda
21
+29.126
22
9
8
4
Alex Barros
Gauloises Yamaha Team
Yamaha
21
+30.526
8
8
9
56
Shinya Nakano
d'Antín Yamaha Team
Yamaha
21
+33.447
10
7
10
7
Carlos Checa
Fortuna Yamaha Team
Yamaha
21
+40.200
4
6
11
17
Norifumi Abe
Fortuna Yamaha Team
Yamaha
21
+44.790
14
5
12
41
Noriyuki Haga
Alice Aprilia Racing
Aprilia
21
+1:03.358
17
4
13
21
John Hopkins
Suzuki Grand Prix Team
Suzuki
21
+1:03.950
12
3
14
10
Kenny Roberts Jr.
Suzuki Grand Prix Team
Suzuki
21
+1:04.085
7
2
15
19
Olivier Jacque
Gauloises Yamaha Team
Yamaha
21
+1:09.990
21
1
16
8
Garry McCoy
Kawasaki Racing Team
Kawasaki
21
+1:16.572
20
17
88
Andrew Pitt
Kawasaki Racing Team
Kawasaki
21
+1:17.380
23
18
48
Akira Yanagawa
Kawasaki Racing Team
Kawasaki
21
+1:23.605
18
19
25
Tamaki Serizawa
Moriwaki Racing WCM
MD211VF Proto
21
+1:35.459
16
20
11
Tohru Ukawa
Camel Pramac Pons
Honda
21
+1:57.128
3
Ret
6
Makoto Tamada
Pramac Honda
Honda
12
Accident
5
Ret
9
Nobuatsu Aoki
Proton Team KR
Proton KR
7
Retirement
19
Ret
99
Jeremy McWilliams
Proton Team KR
Proton KR
6
Accident
24
Ret
74
Daijiro Kato
Telefónica Movistar Honda
Honda
2
Fatal accident
11
DNS
35
Chris Burns
WCM
Harris WCM
Did not start
Sources:
Daijiro Kato died on 20 April 2003 from injuries sustained during the accident.
250 cc classification
Pos.
No.
Rider
Manufacturer
Laps
Time/Retired
Grid
Points
1
54
Manuel Poggiali
Aprilia
19
41:36.284
23
25
2
92
Hiroshi Aoyama
Honda
19
+1.373
1
20
3
72
Yuki Takahashi
Honda
19
+1.496
7
16
4
5
Sebastián Porto
Honda
19
+1.700
6
13
5
21
Franco Battaini
Aprilia
19
+11.771
16
11
6
10
Fonsi Nieto
Aprilia
19
+13.220
9
10
7
3
Roberto Rolfo
Honda
19
+13.497
4
9
8
8
Naoki Matsudo
Yamaha
19
+14.027
5
8
9
68
Tekkyu Kayoh
Yamaha
19
+24.546
12
7
10
50
Sylvain Guintoli
Aprilia
19
+42.722
8
6
11
6
Alex Debón
Honda
19
+43.246
3
5
12
36
Erwan Nigon
Aprilia
19
+47.871
21
4
13
11
Joan Olivé
Aprilia
19
+1:09.405
30
3
14
16
Johan Stigefelt
Aprilia
19
+1:09.779
13
2
15
96
Jakub Smrž
Honda
19
+1:21.048
10
1
16
34
Eric Bataille
Honda
19
+1:21.788
28
17
13
Jaroslav Huleš
Yamaha
19
+1:35.538
15
18
57
Chaz Davies
Aprilia
19
+1:38.489
29
19
18
Henk vd Lagemaat
Honda
19
+1:41.507
25
20
98
Katja Poensgen
Honda
18
+1 lap
26
Ret
33
Héctor Faubel
Aprilia
18
Accident
18
Ret
15
Christian Gemmel
Honda
17
Accident
24
Ret
26
Alex Baldolini
Aprilia
17
Retirement
11
Ret
14
Anthony West
Aprilia
15
Accident
17
Ret
24
Toni Elías
Aprilia
14
Retirement
27
Ret
71
Katsuyuki Nakasuga
Yamaha
10
Accident
2
Ret
7
Randy de Puniet
Aprilia
4
Retirement
20
Ret
28
Dirk Heidolf
Aprilia
0
Accident
19
Ret
67
Tomoyoshi Koyama
Yamaha
0
Accident
22
Ret
9
Hugo Marchand
Aprilia
0
Retirement
14
Source:
125 cc classification
Pos.
No.
Rider
Manufacturer
Laps
Time/Retired
Grid
Points
1
7
Stefano Perugini
Aprilia
18
40:53.083
5
25
2
6
Mirko Giansanti
Aprilia
18
+0.037
4
20
3
17
Steve Jenkner
Aprilia
18
+1.033
13
16
4
4
Lucio Cecchinello
Aprilia
18
+6.701
3
13
5
34
Andrea Dovizioso
Honda
18
+8.594
8
11
6
41
Youichi Ui
Aprilia
18
+8.940
18
10
7
22
Pablo Nieto
Aprilia
18
+9.083
11
9
8
3
Daniel Pedrosa
Honda
18
+22.993
2
8
9
12
Thomas Lüthi
Honda
18
+33.708
17
7
10
23
Gino Borsoi
Aprilia
18
+34.234
20
6
11
36
Mika Kallio
Honda
18
+34.280
34
5
12
24
Simone Corsi
Honda
18
+35.245
28
4
13
11
Max Sabbatani
Aprilia
18
+35.818
6
3
14
79
Gábor Talmácsi
Aprilia
18
+35.945
23
2
15
42
Gioele Pellino
Aprilia
18
+36.307
22
1
16
32
Fabrizio Lai
Malaguti
18
+42.964
21
17
8
Masao Azuma
Honda
18
+43.063
30
18
19
Álvaro Bautista
Aprilia
18
+51.526
19
19
31
Julián Simón
Malaguti
18
+57.880
24
20
65
Toshihisa Kuzuhara
Honda
18
+58.129
25
21
58
Marco Simoncelli
Aprilia
18
+58.412
15
22
63
Mike Di Meglio
Aprilia
18
+1:16.078
33
23
10
Roberto Locatelli
KTM
18
+1:17.164
27
24
25
Imre Tóth
Honda
18
+1:21.140
31
25
14
Chris Martin
Aprilia
18
+1:21.384
32
26
21
Leon Camier
Honda
18
+1:56.001
36
27
67
Akio Tanaka
Honda
17
+1 lap
37
Ret
66
Shuhei Aoyama
Honda
17
Retirement
12
Ret
78
Péter Lénárt
Honda
15
Accident
35
Ret
27
Casey Stoner
Aprilia
8
Accident
7
Ret
33
Stefano Bianco
Gilera
7
Accident
10
Ret
48
Jorge Lorenzo
Derbi
7
Retirement
29
Ret
15
Alex de Angelis
Aprilia
6
Accident
1
Ret
1
Arnaud Vincent
KTM
2
Retirement
16
Ret
26
Emilio Alzamora
Derbi
2
Retirement
14
Ret
80
Héctor Barberá
Aprilia
1
Accident
9
Ret
68
Sadahito Suma
Honda
1
Retirement
26
DNQ
64
Cheung Way On
Honda
Did not qualify
Source:
Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)
Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round one has concluded.
Riders' Championship standings
Pos.
Rider
Points
1
Valentino Rossi
25
2
Max Biaggi
20
3
Loris Capirossi
16
4
Sete Gibernau
13
5
Troy Bayliss
11
Constructors' Championship standings
Pos.
Constructor
Points
1
Honda
25
2
Ducati
16
3
Aprilia
10
4
Yamaha
8
5
Suzuki
3
Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.
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