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2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

{{Infobox Grand Prix motorcycle race report

| Grand Prix = Japanese

| flag = Japan

| Official Name = SKYY vodka Grand Prix of Japan{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2003-japanese-motogp|title=2003 Japanese MotoGP|date=13 June 2017|website=Motorsportmagazine.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://www.progcovers.com/motor/suzuka.html|title=Suzuka Circuit - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project|first=Malcolm|last=Mitchell|website=Progcovers.com|access-date=16 May 2018}}

| Location = Suzuka Circuit

| Course_mi = 3.619{{Cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2003-japanese-motogp/|title = 2003 Japanese MotoGP | Motorsport Database}}

| Course_km = 5.824

| Race_No = 1

| Season_No = 16

| Date = 6 April

| Year = 2003

| Image = Circuit Suzuka.png

| Pole_Rider_MotoGP = Valentino Rossi

| Pole_Rider_MotoGP_Country = Italy

| Pole_Rider_MotoGP_Bike = Honda

| Pole_Time_MotoGP = 2:06.838

| Fast_Rider_MotoGP = Valentino Rossi

| Fast_Rider_MotoGP_Country = Italy

| Fast_Rider_MotoGP_Bike = Honda

| Fast_Time_MotoGP = 2:04.970 on lap 6

| First_Rider_MotoGP = Valentino Rossi

| First_Rider_MotoGP_Country = Italy

| First_Rider_MotoGP_Bike = Honda

| Second_Rider_MotoGP = Max Biaggi

| Second_Rider_MotoGP_Country = Italy

| Second_Rider_MotoGP_Bike = Honda

| Third_Rider_MotoGP = Loris Capirossi

| Third_Rider_MotoGP_Country = Italy

| Third_Rider_MotoGP_Bike = Ducati

| Pole_Rider_250 = Hiroshi Aoyama

| Pole_Rider_250_Country = Japan

| Pole_Rider_250_Bike = Honda

| Pole_Time_250 = 2:17.930

| Fast_Rider_250 = Hiroshi Aoyama

| Fast_Rider_250_Bike = Honda

| Fast_Rider_250_Country = Japan

| Fast_Time_250 = 2:09.839 on lap 17

| First_Rider_250 = Manuel Poggiali

| First_Rider_250_Country = San Marino

| First_Rider_250_Bike = Aprilia

| Second_Rider_250 = Hiroshi Aoyama

| Second_Rider_250_Country = Japan

| Second_Rider_250_Bike = Honda

| Third_Rider_250 = Yuki Takahashi

| Third_Rider_250_Country = Japan

| Third_Rider_250_Bike = Honda

| Pole_Rider_125 = Alex de Angelis

| Pole_Rider_125_Country = San Marino

| Pole_Rider_125_Bike = Aprilia

| Pole_Time_125 = 2:15.417

| Fast_Rider_125 = Stefano Perugini

| Fast_Rider_125_Country = Italy

| Fast_Rider_125_Bike = Aprilia

| Fast_Time_125 = 2:14.282 on lap 6

| First_Rider_125 = Stefano Perugini

| First_Rider_125_Country = Italy

| First_Rider_125_Bike = Aprilia

| Second_Rider_125 = Mirko Giansanti

| Second_Rider_125_Country = Italy

| Second_Rider_125_Bike = Aprilia

| Third_Rider_125 = Steve Jenkner

| Third_Rider_125_Country = Germany

| Third_Rider_125_Bike = Aprilia

}}

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.

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.{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2003/04/05/abe-replaces-melandri-at-fortuna-yamaha/134595|title=Abe replaces Melandri at Fortuna Yamaha|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=5 April 2003|access-date=25 July 2019}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Pos.

! No.

! Rider

! Team

! Manufacturer

! Laps

! Time/Retired

! Grid

! Points

1

| 46

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Valentino Rossi

| Repsol Honda

| Honda

| 21

| 44:13.182

| 1

| 25

2

| 3

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Max Biaggi

| Camel Pramac Pons

| Honda

| 21

| +6.445

| 2

| 20

3

| 65

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Loris Capirossi

| Ducati Marlboro Team

| Ducati

| 21

| +8.209

| 15

| 16

4

| 15

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Sete Gibernau

| Telefónica Movistar Honda

| Honda

| 21

| +13.209

| 6

| 13

5

| 12

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Troy Bayliss

| Ducati Marlboro Team

| Ducati

| 21

| +23.099

| 13

| 11

6

| 45

| {{flagicon|USA}} Colin Edwards

| Alice Aprilia Racing

| Aprilia

| 21

| +29.040

| 9

| 10

7

| 69

| {{flagicon|USA}} Nicky Hayden

| Repsol Honda

| Honda

| 21

| +29.126

| 22

| 9

8

| 4

| {{flagicon|BRA}} Alex Barros

| Gauloises Yamaha Team

| Yamaha

| 21

| +30.526

| 8

| 8

9

| 56

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Shinya Nakano

| d'Antín Yamaha Team

| Yamaha

| 21

| +33.447

| 10

| 7

10

| 7

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Carlos Checa

| Fortuna Yamaha Team

| Yamaha

| 21

| +40.200

| 4

| 6

11

| 17

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Norifumi Abe

| Fortuna Yamaha Team

| Yamaha

| 21

| +44.790

| 14

| 5

12

| 41

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Noriyuki Haga

| Alice Aprilia Racing

| Aprilia

| 21

| +1:03.358

| 17

| 4

13

| 21

| {{flagicon|USA}} John Hopkins

| Suzuki Grand Prix Team

| Suzuki

| 21

| +1:03.950

| 12

| 3

14

| 10

| {{flagicon|USA}} Kenny Roberts Jr.

| Suzuki Grand Prix Team

| Suzuki

| 21

| +1:04.085

| 7

| 2

15

| 19

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Olivier Jacque

| Gauloises Yamaha Team

| Yamaha

| 21

| +1:09.990

| 21

| 1

16

| 8

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Garry McCoy

| Kawasaki Racing Team

| Kawasaki

| 21

| +1:16.572

| 20

|

17

| 88

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Andrew Pitt

| Kawasaki Racing Team

| Kawasaki

| 21

| +1:17.380

| 23

|

18

| 48

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Akira Yanagawa

| Kawasaki Racing Team

| Kawasaki

| 21

| +1:23.605

| 18

|

19

| 25

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Tamaki Serizawa

| Moriwaki Racing WCM

| MD211VF Proto

| 21

| +1:35.459

| 16

|

20

| 11

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Tohru Ukawa

| Camel Pramac Pons

| Honda

| 21

| +1:57.128

| 3

|

Ret

| 6

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Makoto Tamada

| Pramac Honda

| Honda

| 12

| Accident

| 5

|

Ret

| 9

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Nobuatsu Aoki

| Proton Team KR

| Proton KR

| 7

| Retirement

| 19

|

Ret

| 99

| {{flagicon|GBR}} Jeremy McWilliams

| Proton Team KR

| Proton KR

| 6

| Accident

| 24

|

Ret

| 74

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Daijiro Kato

| Telefónica Movistar Honda

| Honda

| 2

| Fatal accident

| 11

|

DNS

| 35

| {{flagicon|GBR}} Chris Burns

| WCM

| Harris WCM

|

| Did not start

|

|

colspan=9| Sources: {{cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2003-japanese-motogp|title=2003 Japanese MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database|date=13 June 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2003/MotoGP/JPN/RAC/classification.pdf|title=SKYY Vodka Grand Prix of Japan – MotoGP – Race Classification|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=6 April 2003|access-date=25 May 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/2003/JPN/MotoGP/RAC|title=motogp.com · JAPANESE GRAND PRIX · MotoGP Race Classification 2003|website=www.motogp.com|access-date=2018-07-29|archive-date=2021-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613140557/https://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/2003/JPN/MotoGP/RAC|url-status=dead}}

250 cc classification

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Pos.

! No.

! Rider

! Manufacturer

! Laps

! Time/Retired

! Grid

! Points

1

| 54

| {{flagicon|SMR}} Manuel Poggiali

| Aprilia

| 19

| 41:36.284

| 23

| 25

2

| 92

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Hiroshi Aoyama

| Honda

| 19

| +1.373

| 1

| 20

3

| 72

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yuki Takahashi

| Honda

| 19

| +1.496

| 7

| 16

4

| 5

| {{flagicon|ARG}} Sebastián Porto

| Honda

| 19

| +1.700

| 6

| 13

5

| 21

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Franco Battaini

| Aprilia

| 19

| +11.771

| 16

| 11

6

| 10

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Fonsi Nieto

| Aprilia

| 19

| +13.220

| 9

| 10

7

| 3

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Roberto Rolfo

| Honda

| 19

| +13.497

| 4

| 9

8

| 8

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Naoki Matsudo

| Yamaha

| 19

| +14.027

| 5

| 8

9

| 68

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Tekkyu Kayoh

| Yamaha

| 19

| +24.546

| 12

| 7

10

| 50

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Sylvain Guintoli

| Aprilia

| 19

| +42.722

| 8

| 6

11

| 6

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Alex Debón

| Honda

| 19

| +43.246

| 3

| 5

12

| 36

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Erwan Nigon

| Aprilia

| 19

| +47.871

| 21

| 4

13

| 11

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Joan Olivé

| Aprilia

| 19

| +1:09.405

| 30

| 3

14

| 16

| {{flagicon|SWE}} Johan Stigefelt

| Aprilia

| 19

| +1:09.779

| 13

| 2

15

| 96

| {{flagicon|CZE}} Jakub Smrž

| Honda

| 19

| +1:21.048

| 10

| 1

16

| 34

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Eric Bataille

| Honda

| 19

| +1:21.788

| 28

|

17

| 13

| {{flagicon|CZE}} Jaroslav Huleš

| Yamaha

| 19

| +1:35.538

| 15

|

18

| 57

| {{flagicon|GBR}} Chaz Davies

| Aprilia

| 19

| +1:38.489

| 29

|

19

| 18

| {{flagicon|NLD}} Henk vd Lagemaat

| Honda

| 19

| +1:41.507

| 25

|

20

| 98

| {{flagicon|DEU}} Katja Poensgen

| Honda

| 18

| +1 lap

| 26

|

Ret

| 33

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Héctor Faubel

| Aprilia

| 18

| Accident

| 18

|

Ret

| 15

| {{flagicon|DEU}} Christian Gemmel

| Honda

| 17

| Accident

| 24

|

Ret

| 26

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Alex Baldolini

| Aprilia

| 17

| Retirement

| 11

|

Ret

| 14

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Anthony West

| Aprilia

| 15

| Accident

| 17

|

Ret

| 24

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Toni Elías

| Aprilia

| 14

| Retirement

| 27

|

Ret

| 71

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Katsuyuki Nakasuga

| Yamaha

| 10

| Accident

| 2

|

Ret

| 7

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Randy de Puniet

| Aprilia

| 4

| Retirement

| 20

|

Ret

| 28

| {{flagicon|DEU}} Dirk Heidolf

| Aprilia

| 0

| Accident

| 19

|

Ret

| 67

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Tomoyoshi Koyama

| Yamaha

| 0

| Accident

| 22

|

Ret

| 9

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Hugo Marchand

| Aprilia

| 0

| Retirement

| 14

|

colspan=8| Source: {{cite web|url=http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2003/250cc/JPN/RAC/classification.pdf|title=SKYY Vodka Grand Prix of Japan – 250cc – Race Classification|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=6 April 2003|access-date=25 May 2016}}

125 cc classification

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"

! Pos.

! No.

! Rider

! Manufacturer

! Laps

! Time/Retired

! Grid

! Points

1

| 7

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Stefano Perugini

| Aprilia

| 18

| 40:53.083

| 5

| 25

2

| 6

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Mirko Giansanti

| Aprilia

| 18

| +0.037

| 4

| 20

3

| 17

| {{flagicon|DEU}} Steve Jenkner

| Aprilia

| 18

| +1.033

| 13

| 16

4

| 4

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Lucio Cecchinello

| Aprilia

| 18

| +6.701

| 3

| 13

5

| 34

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Andrea Dovizioso

| Honda

| 18

| +8.594

| 8

| 11

6

| 41

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Youichi Ui

| Aprilia

| 18

| +8.940

| 18

| 10

7

| 22

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Pablo Nieto

| Aprilia

| 18

| +9.083

| 11

| 9

8

| 3

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Daniel Pedrosa

| Honda

| 18

| +22.993

| 2

| 8

9

| 12

| {{flagicon|CHE}} Thomas Lüthi

| Honda

| 18

| +33.708

| 17

| 7

10

| 23

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Gino Borsoi

| Aprilia

| 18

| +34.234

| 20

| 6

11

| 36

| {{flagicon|FIN}} Mika Kallio

| Honda

| 18

| +34.280

| 34

| 5

12

| 24

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Simone Corsi

| Honda

| 18

| +35.245

| 28

| 4

13

| 11

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Max Sabbatani

| Aprilia

| 18

| +35.818

| 6

| 3

14

| 79

| {{flagicon|HUN}} Gábor Talmácsi

| Aprilia

| 18

| +35.945

| 23

| 2

15

| 42

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Gioele Pellino

| Aprilia

| 18

| +36.307

| 22

| 1

16

| 32

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Fabrizio Lai

| Malaguti

| 18

| +42.964

| 21

|

17

| 8

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Masao Azuma

| Honda

| 18

| +43.063

| 30

|

18

| 19

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Álvaro Bautista

| Aprilia

| 18

| +51.526

| 19

|

19

| 31

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Julián Simón

| Malaguti

| 18

| +57.880

| 24

|

20

| 65

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Toshihisa Kuzuhara

| Honda

| 18

| +58.129

| 25

|

21

| 58

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Marco Simoncelli

| Aprilia

| 18

| +58.412

| 15

|

22

| 63

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Mike Di Meglio

| Aprilia

| 18

| +1:16.078

| 33

|

23

| 10

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Roberto Locatelli

| KTM

| 18

| +1:17.164

| 27

|

24

| 25

| {{flagicon|HUN}} Imre Tóth

| Honda

| 18

| +1:21.140

| 31

|

25

| 14

| {{flagicon|GBR}} Chris Martin

| Aprilia

| 18

| +1:21.384

| 32

|

26

| 21

| {{flagicon|GBR}} Leon Camier

| Honda

| 18

| +1:56.001

| 36

|

27

| 67

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Akio Tanaka

| Honda

| 17

| +1 lap

| 37

|

Ret

| 66

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Shuhei Aoyama

| Honda

| 17

| Retirement

| 12

|

Ret

| 78

| {{flagicon|HUN}} Péter Lénárt

| Honda

| 15

| Accident

| 35

|

Ret

| 27

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Casey Stoner

| Aprilia

| 8

| Accident

| 7

|

Ret

| 33

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Stefano Bianco

| Gilera

| 7

| Accident

| 10

|

Ret

| 48

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Jorge Lorenzo

| Derbi

| 7

| Retirement

| 29

|

Ret

| 15

| {{flagicon|SMR}} Alex de Angelis

| Aprilia

| 6

| Accident

| 1

|

Ret

| 1

| {{flagicon|FRA}} Arnaud Vincent

| KTM

| 2

| Retirement

| 16

|

Ret

| 26

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Emilio Alzamora

| Derbi

| 2

| Retirement

| 14

|

Ret

| 80

| {{flagicon|ESP}} Héctor Barberá

| Aprilia

| 1

| Accident

| 9

|

Ret

| 68

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Sadahito Suma

| Honda

| 1

| Retirement

| 26

|

DNQ

| 64

| {{flagicon|CHN}} Cheung Way On

| Honda

|

| Did not qualify

|

|

colspan=8| Source: {{cite web|url=http://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2003/125cc/JPN/RAC/classification.pdf|title=SKYY Vodka Grand Prix of Japan – 125cc – Race Classification|work=MotoGP.com|publisher=Dorna Sports|date=6 April 2003|access-date=25 May 2016}}

Championship standings after the race (MotoGP)

Below are the standings for the top five riders and constructors after round one has concluded.{{cite web |url=https://resources.motogp.com/files/results/2003/MotoGP/JPN/world+standing.pdf?v1_96143780|title=Standings |date=2003|website=resources.motogp.com |format=PDF|access-date=2019-08-22}}

{{col-start}}

{{col-2}}

;Riders' Championship standings

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}}

! Rider

! Points

align=center| 1

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Valentino Rossi

|align=right| 25

align=center| 2

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Max Biaggi

|align=right| 20

align=center| 3

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Loris Capirossi

|align=right| 16

align=center| 4

| {{flagicon|SPA}} Sete Gibernau

|align=right| 13

align=center| 5

| {{flagicon|AUS}} Troy Bayliss

|align=right| 11

{{col-2}}

;Constructors' Championship standings

class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"
{{Tooltip|Pos.|Position}}

! Constructor

! Points

align=center| 1

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Honda

|align=right| 25

align=center| 2

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Ducati

|align=right| 16

align=center| 3

| {{flagicon|ITA}} Aprilia

|align=right| 10

align=center| 4

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Yamaha

|align=right| 8

align=center| 5

| {{flagicon|JPN}} Suzuki

|align=right| 3

{{col-end}}

  • Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.

References

{{Reflist}}

{{MotoGP_race_report

| Name_of_race = Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

| Year_of_race = 2003

| Previous_race_in_season = 2002 Valencian Grand Prix

| Next_race_in_season = 2003 South African Grand Prix

| Previous_year's_race = 2002 Japanese Grand Prix

| Next_year's_race = 2004 Japanese Grand Prix

}}

{{MotoGP 2000–09}}

Category:Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

Category:Motorcycle racing controversies

Japanese

Motorcycle Grand Prix