MotoGP

September 9, Race Results

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Round 11Portuguese GP (Estoril)

Two in a Row for Rossi, 7th Win of Season! Runaway 7th Win for Kato in 250cc Race!

Valentino Rossi clinched his 7th victory of the season in the 500cc class at the Estoril circuit, venue for the Portuguese Grand Prix and Round 11 of the MotoGP Championship. This was a significant step towards his first ever title following victory in the last race in the Czech Grand Prix. Rossi started the race from 3rd position on the grid, and finished the opening lap in 4th position after a multiple crash at the first corner. By lap 3, however, he had moved into the lead, which he managed to hold onto for the rest of the 28-lap race. Second was Loris Capirossi. The leading group of three riders was completed by Rossi's main rival for the championship, Max Biaggi (Yamaha), but he crashed in the final stages. Despite restarting and finishing in 5th place, this was not enough to prevent Rossi from extending his lead in the standings.
In the 250cc class, Daijiro Katoh started from 2nd on the grid and went on to win convincingly, finishing well ahead of the rest of the field. He had to battle early on with the two Aprilia riders Tetsuya Harada and Marco Melandri, but from the middle stages he showed his blistering speed and ended up running away with the race. The winner in the 125cc class was Manuel Poggiali (Gilera). Toni Elias protected his championship lead by securing 3rd place behind Youichi Ui (Derbi).

Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Round 11Portuguese GP (Estoril)

500cc


1		V.ROSSI (NASTRO AZZURRO Honda)

2		L.CAPIROSSI (West Honda PONS)

3		G.McCOY (Red Bull Yamaha WCM)

4		C.CHECA (Marlboro Yamaha Team)

5		M.BIAGGI (Marlboro Yamaha Team)

6		K.ROBERTS (Telefonica Movistar Suzuki)

7		J.VD GOORBERGH (Proton TEAM KR)

8		O.JACQUE (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3)

9		S.NAKANO (Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3)

10		J-L.CARDOSO (Antena 3 Yamaha-d'Antin)

11		H.AOKI (Arie Molenaar Racing)

12		A.WEST (Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team)

13		J.STIGEFELT (Sabre Sport)

14		B.CLARK (Shell Advance Honda)

15		B.VENEMAN (Dee Cee Jeans Racing Team)

V.ROSSI
NASTRO AZZURRO Honda

D.KATOH

D.KATOH
TEAM TELEFONICA
MOVISTAR Honda

250cc


1		D.KATOH (TEAM TELEFONICA MOVISTAR Honda)

2		M.MELANDRI (MS Aprilia Racing)

3		T.HARADA (MS Aprilia Racing)

4		R.ROLFO (Safilo Oxydo Race)

5		J.McWILLIAMS (MS Aprilia Racing)

6		N.MATSUDO (Petronas Sprinta Yamaha TVK)

7		F.NIETO (Valencia Circuit Aspar Team)

8		D.CHECA (Team Fomma)

9		F.BATTAINI (MS Eros Ramazzotti Racing)

10		S.YUZY (Petronas Sprinta Yamaha TVK)

11		K.NOHLES (MS Aprilia Racing)

12		A.DEBON (Valencia Circuit Aspar Team)

13		D.DE GEA (Antena 3 Yamaha-d'Antin)

14		J.VINCENT (QUB Team Optimum)

15		J.VIDAL (PR2 Metrored)

125cc


1		M.POGGIALI (Gilera Racing Team)

2		Y.UI (L & M Derbi Team)

3		A.ELIAS (Telefonica Movistar jnr Team)

4		S.SANNA (Safilo Oxydo Race)

5		D.PEDROSA (Telefonica Movistar jnr Team)

6		J.SMRZ (Budweiser Budvar Hanusch)

7		J.HULES (Matteoni Racing)

8		M.GIANSANTI (Axo Racing Team)

9		M.SABBATANI (Bossini Fontana Racing)

10		A.VINCENT (Team Fomma)

11		A.BRANNETTI (Team Crae)

12		G.TALMACSI (Racing Service)

13		G.CAFFIERO (Bossini Fontana Racing)

14		R.JARA (MS Aprilia LCR)

15		G.BORSOI (LAE - UGT 3000)