The Background
The bikes that changed motorcycle racing for ever
A new name and a new dawn for the Grand Prix motorcycle World Championship in 2002 as the 500cc era was over and in with it came the new 990cc MotoGP bikes with astonishing power and performance that thrilled the crowds unlike anything they had seen before. Able to both wheelie and wheel spin in any gear, the riders faced a challenge to tame and control these new beasts.
Like Group B in rallying or the Turbo era of F1, the innovations that made these bikes possible were at the cutting edge - and in some cases tipped over it. Indeed, early MotoGP bikes produced so much power and heat from the engines that riders had skin burns just from riding in - literally - the heat of competition.
Teams took to drilling holes in the front fairing to aid heat reduction and cooling leading to them using the summer break after the first nine races of the season for a completely redesign of the running gear installation to try and solve the 'rider cooking' problems. Further changes were made toward the very end of the season where the frame and chassis were redesigned around the engine mount installation.
This really was the new wild west of racing and the riders who completed in this period are held in awe not only by current riders but also past and present F1 drivers (Schumacher was friends with Capirossi) for it was a period with no limits and no safety net where everything was pushed to the absolute limit of engineering and human courage.
"The good thing that I have never had in all my years before is the family feeling in the Ducati garage. Everybody does everything for each other. Just look at the effort we put into Mugello. 1 – 2 on the grid and then a podium position for me after I dropped to 8th after the start. Personally, I have never been so motivated in MotoGP, and I proved that by winning the first race of the year at Jerez before leading the championship after six rounds. "
Loris Capirossi in 2006
Ducati raced in this ground breaking MotoGP period across four seasons - from 2003 to 2006 inclusive, continuing on in 2007 when power was reduced as 990cc engines became 800cc. Ducati achieved seven Grand Prix victories across the era with 2006 being their peak of success. Capirossi took six of the wins with team mate Troy Bayliss taking the seventh victory at Valencia in the final race of both the season and the 990cc era as a whole, capping it off with Ducati’s first ever 1-2 finish.
2006 Ducati GP6 launch at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy
So the most legendary team racing in the most iconic era had just seven winning bikes - and this Capirossi GP6 is the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix winner.
MotoGP has gone from strength to strength and now has a larger social media following than Formula 1. The recent acquisition by Liberty Media (owner of the F1 racing series) will see further growth and potential for MotoGP as they push audience expansion across the world.