Loris Capirossi
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Loris Capirossi (born April 4, 1973 in Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna) is an Italian motorcycle racer competing for the Rizla Suzuki MotoGP Team in the MotoGP class of the Grand Prix motorcycle racing. A former 250cc World Champion, Capirossi had spent most of his racing career with team Ducati until switching sides in 2008, replacing world champion teammate Casey Stoner with another Aussie racer in Chris Vermeulen at Suzuki.
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Personal Life
Loris is married to Ingrid Tence, to whom he has a son named Riccardo (born April 2, 2007). The couple resides in Monaco. On August of 2007, the Italian taxation authority announced that Loris was being investiagated for suspected tax evasion in relation to an alleged undeclared earnings of €1.3 million (US$1.77 million) in 2002. Loris' manager Carlo Pernat told the press: "It's absolutely absurd. Loris really lives in Monte Carlo. I don't understand what they can hold against him. He doesn't own anything in Italy."
Loris is a fan of Fausto Gresini, his racing hero. He enjoys any sport that has engines involved, likes to eat Italian food, and listens to Italian music.
Early Career
Capirossi's interest for motorcycles started at an early age. At 5, he was already practicing throttle control with his dirt bike and at 14, began to compete in road racing. His first tarmac season occured in the 1987 Italian Production Championship where his modified Honda NS125 finished sixth. He spent a couple of years more in the "minor leagues" so to speak, with his Mancini finishing 9th in the 1988 125 Italian Championship before his Honda won four rounds in the 1989 125 Euro series where he placed 4th overall.
By 1990, Capirossi broke into the World Championship scene and played second fiddle in his GP debut to team-mate and ex-World Champion Fausto Gresini at Honda. Despite this, Capirossi managed to claim his first podium at Misano in May, then notched his maiden victory at Donington Park three months after, before going all the way with the championship in the season finale in Australia. His success continued the following season as he bagged five victories in 1991 to win a second straight championship.
250 cc
By 1992, it was decided that Capirossi was ready for the 250 cc class and so he began his campaign aboard a more powerful Honda RS250 motorcycle placing 12th in his 250 debut. A year later, sporting a full-factory Honda NSR250, he bagged his first class win at Assen in June before a couple more victories put him at the top of the standings entering the season finale. A mistake in tire selection however prevented him from winning the crown, settling for second place instead with 193 points. He continued his strong showing in 1994, piling up wins in Austria, Germany, France and Britain but Biaggi’s Aprilia was too much to compete against and so Capirossi was relegated to third place in the championship standings.
500 cc
Many thought Capirossi's decision to proceed to the 500cc class in 1995 with Team Pileri Honda was premature, but he proved the critics otherwise as he was able to claim pole position in only his second race in the 500 GP. Technical problems however prevented him from notching wins but he was still able to finish the season on a high note after taking his first 500cc podium at the European MotoGP and placing on a respectable 6th place in the championship tally.
In 1996, he moved to the Yamaha camp but his stint with Wayne Rainey's team was short-lived after a less-productive season. His first win in the 500cc at Eastern Creek was only one of the few bright spots of the year, finishing a mere 10th place in the standings with 98 points.
250 cc
In 1997, he accepted an offer from Aprilia to ride the team's RS250 in the 250 cc class. It wasn't a very productive return however as Capirossi would finish the season with no better than three podium finishes and a 6th place finish in the championship tally. 1998 however was a better, but a more controversial year for the Italian. Capirossi fared pretty well in the championship standings but his title campaign did not end without controversy. In the season finale at Argentina, he and teammate Tetsuya Harada were involved in a controversial incident where his bike rammed Harada's vehicle from behind and send his teammate off the track. The collision gave Valentino Rossi a free pass to victory while Capirossi was able to recover and took a runner-up finish. Though Capirossi wound up with the title by season's end, team Aprilla still released him during the off-season.
In 1999, he would make his way back to Honda after his friend Fausto Gresini hired him to ride a factory supported Honda. He would claim nine podiums that season and earn third place overall in the World Championship.
500 cc
Capirossi made another brief return to the 500 cc class with Sito Pons’ Honda team in 2000, winning his home race and landing on the podiums thrice. He also displayed resiliency that year as he managed to notch his first 500 podium in the Dutch GP despite competing with broken bones on his left hand. He also finished 7th in the championship with 154 points to end the season. He spent another year in the 500 class, warming up for an eventual stint with the MotoGP class. Compared to the previous year, Capirossi turned out a more consistent performance in 2001 with podiums in 9 of the 16 total races to claim a third place finish overall with 210 points.
MotoGP
In 2002, Capirossi raced his outclassed 2001-spec NSR500 two-stroke against the new breed of 990cc four-strokes. Wrist injury and all, he still managed to score two podium finishes and an 8th place overall despite being denied permission to ride aboard the team's 4-stroke machine late in the year.
By 2003, Capirossi aligned himself with the newly formed Italian-based MotoGP team Ducati and its recently developed machine, the Ducati Desmosedici. The result of the partnership was quite productive as the team made waves in preseason testings unto its debut MotoGP where Capirossi would give Ducati its maiden podium with a third place finish from a 4th row start. That same race however may be remembered by racing enthusiasts not only for the Italian's remarkable Ducati debut, but also for a fatal crash that killed Japanese Honda driver Daijiro Kato. As a tribute to Kato, it was decided that the series would go on. At the Catalunyan Grand Prix in Spain, Capirossi would go toe-to-toe with fellow Italian Valentino Rossi and would claim his and his team's first ever win. It was quite a milestone as the victory was first by an Italian rider on an Italian bike in the premier category since Agostini won the German GP on the MV in 1976. He capped his first season at Ducati with 12 front row positions, 3 pole positions, 6 podium finishes, a sole victory and a record of 206.5mph which turned out to be the fastest ever top speed in grand prix racing.
In 2004, he was paired with Australian racer Troy Bayliss, but the team would struggle due to the machine's lack of grip despite a huge straight line speed. He managed to pile up the points, 117 to be exact, with only one podium and a 9th place finish in the overall standings.
Ducati employed several modifications after a disappointing season, one of which was the use of the improving Bridgestone tyres over the Michelin during the offseason. Capirossi still scored points on a consistent basis, even landing podiums in two occassions aside from two consecutive victories in Japan and Malaysia. An injury sustained during practice session at Phillip Island however forced him to sit out a couple of rounds which derailed his chances of a better finish and settling for 6th place in the standings.
Capirossi remained with the Ducati Marlboro Team for 2006 and was paired with a new teammate in Sete Gibernau. He began the 2006 campaign with a pole and a win at the season opener in Jerez then strung up a couple of runner-up finishes in France and at his home race to keep his lead in the championship standings. The Italian however got entangled with teammate Gibernau at the Catalunya, putting both riders in the hospital and slightly reducing Capirossi's effectivity in the next rounds which cost him points in the title hunt. He tried to rally back with a win and a runner up at the Czech Republic and Malaysian MotoGP rounds, respectively, but his 7th place finish at Phillip Island would put an end to his championship hopes. He ended the year in 3rd place instead behind Nicky Hayden and Rossi.
Ducati retained the services of Capirossi for 2007 which was the first season of the 800cc racing. He competed alongside up and coming Australian teammate Casey Stoner who wasted no time by quickly making an impact with a debut win at Ducati in the Qatar GP. That victory was actually the first of many for Stoner during that season and while the Aussie made his mark with a championship in his maiden stint at Ducati, Capirossi struggled on his fifth season at the Italian team and ended up in sixth place below his younger ally with only a sole victory at the Japanese GP.
Adding insult to injury was Ducati's announcement on the hiring of Marco Melandri for the 2008 season and the contract extension of Stoner as early as the 11th race of the season at Laguna Seca which left Capirossi with a bleak future at Ducati. Kawasaki and Suzuki then came knocking on the Italian's door and by the 16th of August 2007, Capirossi announced his decision to ride for Paul Denning's team alongside Chris Vermeulen.
2008
Capirossi began his Suzuki debut with an 8th place finish (8 points) at the Qatar GP then followed up with a 5th place score (11 points) at the Grand Prix of Spain.
Career Stats
| Season | Class | Motorcycle | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd | WCh |
| 1990 | 125cc | Honda RS125 | 14 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 182 | 1st | 1 |
| 1991 | 125cc | Honda RS125 | 13 | 5 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 200 | 1st | 1 |
| 1992 | 250cc | Honda RS250 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 12th | - |
| 1993 | 250cc | Honda RS250 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 193 | 2nd | - |
| 1994 | 250cc | Honda RS250 | 14 | 4 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 199 | 3rd | - |
| 1995 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 6th | - |
| 1996 | 500cc | Yamaha YZR500 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 10th | - |
| 1997 | 250cc | Aprilia RS250 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 116 | 6th | - |
| 1998 | 250cc | Aprilia RS250 | 14 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 3 | 224 | 1st | 1 |
| 1999 | 250cc | Honda RS250 | 15 | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 209 | 3rd | - |
| 2000 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | 16 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 154 | 7th | - |
| 2001 | 500cc | Honda NSR500 | 16 | 0 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 210 | 3rd | - |
| 2002 | MotoGP | Honda NSR500 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 8th | - |
| 2003 | MotoGP | Ducati GP3 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 177 | 4th | - |
| 2004 | MotoGP | Ducati GP4 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 117 | 9th | - |
| 2005 | MotoGP | Ducati GP5 | 15 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 157 | 6th | - |
| 2006 | MotoGP | Ducati GP6 | 17 | 3 | 8 | 2 | 5 | 229 | 3rd | - |
| 2007 | MotoGP | Ducati GP7 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 166 | 7th | - |
| Total | 266 | 29 | 98 | 41 | 32 | 2875 | 3 |
| Class | Season | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WCh |
| 125cc | 1990-1991 | 1990 Japan | 1990 Nations | 1990 Britain | 27 | 8 | 20 | 5 | 4 | 382 | 2 |
| 250cc | 1992-1994,1997-99 | 1992 Japan | 1993 Austrian | 1993 Dutch | 84 | 12 | 37 | 23 | 18 | 968 | 1 |
| 500cc | 1995-96,2000-01 | 1995 Australia | 1995 Catalunya | 1996 Australia | 59 | 2 | 16 | 5 | 2 | 570 | 0 |
| MotoGP | 2002-2007 | 2002 Japan | 2002 South Africa | 2003 Catalunya | 96 | 7 | 25 | 8 | 8 | 955 | 0 |
| Total | 1990-2007 | 266 | 29 | 98 | 41 | 32 | 2875 | 3 |
| Yr | Class | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final Pos | Pts |
| 1999 | 500cc | Honda | MAL 1 | JPN 3 | SPA 3 | FRA Ret | ITA EX | CAT | NED 1 | GBR 2 | GER 2 | CZE 7 | SMR 1 | VAL 3 | AUS 6 | RSA 5 | BRA 3 | ARG Ret | 3rd | 209 | ||
| 2000 | 500cc | Honda | RSA 3 | MAL Ret | JPN 12 | SPA 6 | FRA 8 | ITA 1 | CAT 6 | NED 3 | GBR 4 | GER 6 | CZE 5 | POR 13 | VAL Ret | BRA Ret | PAC 8 | AUS 2 | 7th | 154 | ||
| 2001 | 500cc | Honda | JPN 8 | RSA 2 | SPA 8 | FRA 7 | ITA 2 | CAT 3 | NED 3 | GBR 10 | GER 8 | CZE 3 | POR 2 | VAL Ret | PAC 3 | AUS 3 | MAL 2 | BRA 5 | 3rd | 210 | ||
| 2002 | MotoGP | Honda | JPN 9 | SAF 3 | SPA 4 | FRA 7 | ITA 6 | CAT 6 | NED Ret | GBR Inj | GER Inj | CZE 6 | POR Ret | BRA 5 | PAC 3 | MAL 9 | AUS Ret | VAL Ret | 8th | 109 | ||
| 2003 | MotoGP | Ducati | JPN 3 | SAF Ret | SPA Ret | FRA Ret | ITA 2 | CAT 1 | NED 6 | GBR 4 | GER 4 | CZE Ret | POR 3 | BRA 6 | PAC 8 | MAL 6 | AUS 2 | VAL 3 | 4th | 177 | ||
| 2004 | MotoGP | Ducati | SAF 6 | SPA 12 | FRA 10 | ITA 8 | CAT 10 | NED 8 | BRA 4 | GER Ret | GBR 7 | CZE 5 | POR 7 | JPN Ret | QAT Ret | MAL 6 | AUS 3 | VAL 9 | 9th | 117 | ||
| 2005 | MotoGP | Ducati | SPA 13 | POR 9 | CHN 12 | FRA 7 | ITA 3 | CAT 12 | NED 10 | USA 10 | GBR 6 | GER 9 | CZE 2 | JPN 1 | MAL 1 | QAT 10 | AUS Inj | TUR Inj | VAL 7 | 6th | 157 | |
| 2006 | MotoGP | Honda | SPA 1 | QAT 3 | TUR 6 | CHN 8 | FRA 2 | ITA 2 | CAT Ret | NED 15 | GBR 9 | GER 5 | USA 8 | CZE 1 | MAL 2 | AUS 7 | JPN 1 | POR 12 | VAL 2 | 3rd | 229 | |
| 2007 | MotoGP | Ducati | QAT Ret | SPA 12 | TUR 3 | CHN 6 | FRA 8 | ITA 7 | CAT 6 | GBR Ret | NED Ret | GER 2 | USA Ret | CZE 6 | SMR 5 | POR 9 | JPN 1 | AUS 2 | MAL 11 | VAL 5 | 7th | 166 |
| 2008 | MotoGP | Suzuki | QAT 8 | SPA 5 | POR - | CHN - | FRA - | ITA - | CAT - | GBR - | NED - | GER - | USA - | CZE - | SMR - | IND - | JPN - | AUS - | MAL - | VAL - | 8th | 19 |
Highlights
| WORLD DUCATI WEEK: Loris Capirossi interview, MotoGP (2004). |
Sources
External Links
Categories: Italian motorcycle racers | MotoGP riders | 500cc World Championship riders | 250cc World Championship riders | 125cc World Championship riders
