Loris Capirossi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Loris Capirossi
Capirossi in 2005
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1973-04-04) 4 April 1973 (age 52) Castel San Pietro Terme, Italy
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 1995–1996, 2000–2011 Manufacturers Honda (1995, 2000–2002) Yamaha (1996) Ducati (2003–2007, 2011) Suzuki (2008–2010) Championships 0 2011 championship position 17th (43 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 217 9 42 13 10 1840 250cc World Championship Active years 1992–1994, 1997–1999 Manufacturers Honda (1992–1994, 1999) Aprilia (1997–1998) Championships 1 (1998) 1999 championship position 3rd (209 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 84 12 37 23 18 968 125cc World Championship Active years 1990–1991 Manufacturers Honda Championships 2 (1990, 1991) 1991 championship position 1st (200 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 27 8 20 5 4 382 Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1990–2011 First race 1990 125cc Japanese Grand Prix Last race 2011 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix First win 1990 125cc British Grand Prix Last win 2007 MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix Championships 3 125cc: 1990, 1991 250cc: 1998 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 328 29 99 41 32 3190

Loris Capirossi (born April 4, 1973) is a famous Italian former motorcycle racer. He was known for his exciting style on the track. After retiring from racing, he became a Safety Advisor for Dorna Sports. This company manages Grand Prix motorcycle racing events.

Loris Capirossi won nine races in the top class of motorcycle racing. He competed from 1990 to 2011. He was the first Grand Prix rider to start over 300 races. His 300th race was the 2010 Qatar Grand Prix. Capirossi won the 125cc World Championship twice, in 1990 and 1991. He also won the 250cc World Championship in 1998. He holds the record for the youngest World Champion in motorcycle racing history. He won his first title in 1990 when he was just 17 years and 165 days old.

Loris Capirossi's Racing Journey

Starting in 125cc Racing

Capirossi began his World Championship career in 1990. He rode a 125cc bike for the Polini Honda team. He quickly showed his talent, finishing on the podium eight times. He won races in Britain, Hungary, and Australia. In his very first full season, Capirossi became a world champion.

His second season in 1991 was even better. He successfully defended his 125cc title. He was almost always at the front of the starting grid. He earned five pole positions and four fastest laps. Out of thirteen races, he finished on the podium twelve times. He won races in Australia, Malaysia, and three places in Europe. His strong performance helped him move up to the 250cc class.

Moving to 250cc Racing

Capirossi moved to the 250cc class in 1992. In 1993, he won his first 250cc race in the Netherlands. He added two more wins in San Marino and the United States. He finished second in the championship that year. In 1994, he won four races. He finished third overall behind Max Biaggi and Tadayuki Okada.

Racing in the Top 500cc Class

The 1995 season was Capirossi's first time in the top 500cc championship. He rode a Honda bike. He often started races well, but sometimes struggled to keep his position. Still, he finished 6th in the championship. In 1996, he had some tough races early on. However, he improved and won the final race in Australia. He was riding for Wayne Rainey's Yamaha team.

Returning to 250cc and Winning Again

Capirossi went back to the 250cc championship in 1997. He became much more competitive in the 1998 season. He battled his Aprilia teammate, Tetsuya Harada, for the championship. In the final race in Argentina, Capirossi finished second and won the world championship.

He then moved to Honda for the 1999 season. He finished third in the championship with three victories.

Back to the Top: 500cc and MotoGP

Capirossi returned to the 500cc championship in 2000. This class later changed to MotoGP, using powerful four-stroke engines. He won his home race in Italy and finished 7th overall. The 2001 season was even better, though he didn't win a race. This was the last year for the 500cc class.

In 2003, he joined Ducati. He earned their first win at Barcelona and finished fourth in the championship. The 2004 season was a bit harder. In 2005, he became very competitive again. He won two races in Japan and Malaysia. This was helped by better Bridgestone tires.

Capirossi and Ducati started the 2006 season with a great win in Spain. He finished second in France and Italy. He was tied for first place in the championship for a while. He had a big crash in Barcelona but was not seriously hurt. He returned to racing and won again in the Czech Republic. He finished third overall in the championship that year.

The 2007 season was not as strong for Capirossi. In August 2007, he announced he would join the Suzuki factory team for the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

The 2008 season was challenging for him. He had only one podium finish in the Czech Republic. He finished the season in tenth place. In 2009, his season started with a crash. He finished ninth overall without a podium for the first time since 1992. On April 11, 2010, Capirossi made history. He became the first rider to start 300 Grand Prix races. He finished ninth in that race. For 2011, Capirossi rode for the Ducati Pramac Team.

On June 11, 2010, Capirossi rode a Suzuki around the famous Snaefell Mountain Course on the Isle of Man. This was part of Suzuki's 50th anniversary at the Isle of Man TT. He said the experience was "amazing."

On September 1, 2011, Capirossi announced he would retire from MotoGP racing. This was at the end of the 2011 season. After he retired, his race number, #65, was unofficially retired from the MotoGP class. In 2016, it was announced that his number had been officially retired from all classes of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. However, a Moto3 rider, Philipp Öttl, continued to use #65 in 2017.

Loris Capirossi's Life Outside Racing

Capirossi married Ingrid Tence in August 2002. They live in Monaco. Their son, Riccardo Capirossi, was born on April 2, 2007.

Loris Capirossi is part of the 'Champions for Peace' club. This group has over 90 famous athletes. They work with Peace and Sport, an international organization. These champions want to use sports to help people talk to each other and build stronger communities.

Books and Films About Loris Capirossi

A book about Capirossi's life was published in 2017. It is called "65 – la mia vita senza paura" (which means "65 – my life without fear"). The book was written with Italian writer Simone Sarasso.

Capirossi's first year in the 125 GP Italian championship is featured in a documentary film. It is called "Mancini, the Motorcycle Wizard." Capirossi was also interviewed for the MotoGP documentary Faster.

Career Highlights

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing Summary

Loris Capirossi competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing for many years. He raced in the 125cc, 250cc, 500cc, and MotoGP classes.

See also

In Spanish: Loris Capirossi para niños