Loris Capirossi
Loris Capirossi (4 April, 1973 in Castel San Pietro Terme, Bologna, Italy) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, who currently rides for the factory Ducati MotoGP team. He is a former 250cc World Champion for Aprilia.
Biography
He made is debut in international races in 1989 in the European 125cc Championship, before moving up to the World Championship at that level in 1990, as team-mate to Fausto Gresini becoming its youngest ever champion that year, and retaining the title a year later. He moved to the 250cc class in 1992 on a year-old bike. although he would lead the championship several times, he never managed to win it outright.
1995 was his first season in the top-level 500cc championship, aboard a Pileri Honda, often qualifying better than he raced but still taking 6th in the series, before taking a win in 1996 for Wayne Rainey's Yamaha team. However, he was not a regular front-runner, and so returned to the 250cc division a year later, winning the crown in 1998.
He returned to the top level in 2000, and has been there ever since through it's evolution to today's 990cc four-stroke MotoGP bikes. He won his home race in 2000, and 3 more en route to 3rd overall in 2001. 2002 was a less competitive year, hampered by a wrist injury. He was not given access to Honda's 4-stroke machine in late 2002 when team-mate Alex Barros was, as he was already to leave the team.
In 2003 he joined Ducati, taking their first win at Barcelona and 4th overall, before a slightly disappointing 2004 on a bike with huge straight line speed but a lack of grip. Still, he stayed on the bike more often than team-mate Troy Bayliss, and thus stayed in the team for a 2005 season which saw him become competitive by the end of the year, aided by improving Bridgestone tyres.
Capirossi and Ducati started the 2006 season with a striking victory and he had a second place in both the French and Italian grand prix, tying for first in Moto GP points with American Nicky Hayden. However, he was caught up in a multiple collision at the start at Barcelona, missing the restart and losing championship ground to Hayden. Though he was knocked out in this horrendous looking accident, he did not suffer very serious injuries beyond significant bruising.
Personal life
Married to Ingrid, the couple reside in Monaco