Motorcycle Championships 2002 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Loris Capirossi

Loris Capirossi, teammate to Alex Barros at West Honda Pons, was the only rider not to get a RC211V. Ukawa had one from seasons beginning, Katoh received his at the Czech Grand Prix, and Barros got to ride one from Motegi onwards.

Answer: 11

With such talent and bike domination, Valentino Rossi strolled to the 2002 MotoGP championship. He won the first ever race of the new rules at Suzuka, was surprised into second by Tohru Ukawa at Welkom, then won seven straight until defeated by Biaggi at Brno. Three more race wins out of six followed to wrap up the season.

Answer: Yamaha

Riding for the Petronas Sprinta Yamaha team, Porto came of age in 2002, riding out of his skin to take some brilliant results. Cruelly robbed of victory by engine failure at Donington Park, he came back in fine style to win in Rio.

Answer: Arnaud Vincent

The 2002 125cc Champion finished every race in the points, barely! Five victories, five top-three finishes mixed with some regular finishes, and a 15th at Motegi saw him finish all 16 races. Not even Valentino Rossi could achieve that in 2002.

Answer: Makoto Tamada

Like usual, the Japanese wild cards were a great mixer at Sugo and Tamada, and broke the dominance of these riders with a second in race one and a victory in race two. Edwards won the first race and came second in the second race.

Answer: Masao Azuma

Azuma had struggled all season on his Ajo Motorsports machine, as the Bridgestone tires were still not a match for the dominance of the Dunlops. But in blistering hot conditions, the Japanese rider came from miles back to snatch victory only a lap or two from home.

Answer: Mugello

Being Italian, doing well at home meant more than anything and like usual, Roberto did very well at Mugello, finishing second behind Melandri. But he struggled the rest of the season with an uncompetitive machine and the team struggling for funds.

Answer: False

Most certainly false. The new prototype machines were simply too quick for the old 500cc machines, although the 500cc machines were in no way completely out-classed. Katoh finished second to Rossi at Jerez on a 500cc Honda, and Barros was second at Assen on a Honda. A 500cc Honda or Yamaha could have won in Germany until Barros and Olivier Jacque collided.

Answer: False

Colin Edwards never finished off the podium, after finishing race one in fourth position at the first race of the season in Valencia. From then on he took 11 wins, 11 seconds, and four thirds.

Answer: Ducati

Ducati did not start their quest for MotoGP glory until 2003, although they did a staggering amount of testing in 2002. Kawasaki did make their debut at Motegi, while Aprilia and Proton KR were present for the entire season.

Answer: Daniel Pedrosa

Cecchinello was the first rider to win back-to-back races, Jerez and Le Mans. Poggiali then did it in the next two races, Mugello and Catalunya. Vincent was the final rider, Silverstone and Sachsenring. Amazingly, Vincent was the last rider to achieve this in the 125cc class going into round ten of the 2004 World Championship.

Answer: Red Bull Yamaha WCM

'Hopper' was making his debut in the World Championship alongside Garry McCoy.

Answer: One

A poor season by Chili's standards as his privateer Ducati was completely outclassed, but a succession of non-finishes at the start of the season also cost Chili chances. His only podium came at Assen when he finished second to Edwards in race two.

Answer: 355

11 wins, four seconds, and only one DNF. 140 points clear of runner-up Max Biaggi.

Answer: 37

37 riders scored at least one point or more during 2002, from World Champion Arnaud Vincent, who scored 273 down to Alex Baldolini, Gioele Pellino, Fabrizio Lai, and Julian Simon, who all scored two points each.