Moto GP Championship

Established in 1949 by the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), grand prix motorcycles are built strictly for racing and are not available for general purchase, nor can they be legally ridden on public roads.

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Over the years there have been a number of classes, based on engine size, and one for sidecars. By the 1990s all but the three current classes fell by the wayside.

The 2007 Grand Prix (GP) schedule has 18 events scattered around the world. The campaign opens March 10 with the Qatar GP and ends with the Valencia Community GP Nov. 4.

Other races are: Spanish GP, March 25; Turkish GP, April 22; Chinese GP, May 6; French GP, May 20; Italian GP, June 3; Catalonia GP, June 10; British GP, June 24; Dutch GP, June 30; German GP, July 15; United States GP, July 22; Czech Republic GP, Aug. 19; San Marino GP, Sept. 2; Portuguese GP, Sept. 16; Japanese GP, Sept. 23; Australian GP, Oct. 14; and Malaysian GP Oct. 21.

The United States GP, which was reintroduced in 2005, holds only the MotoGP competition. All other sites hold races for all three classes.

Italian Valentino Rossi, who won the riders’ point championship five seasons in a row – 2001 to 2005, has dominated the MotoGP recently.

The 2006 championship was the first in 14 years to be decided at the final race. Rossi started the race with an eight-point lead. The United States’ Nicky Hayden finished in third place with Rossi ending up 13th after crashing on lap five to give Hayden his first championship title.

Hayden had two wins during the season and finished with 252 points while Rossi recorded five victories and 247 points. Two other Italians, Loris Capirossi and Marco Melandri, wound up third and fourth with three wins and 229 points and three wins and 228 points, respectively.

Honda won the MotoGP constructor’s championship with eight victories and 360 points. Yamaha followed with five wins and 289 points and Ducati had four wins and 248 points.

Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo was the top rider in the 250 cc class and Alvaro Bautista, also from Spain, led the 125 contestants. Aprilia captured the constructor’s championship in both the 250 cc and 125 cc classes.

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