The first Japanese GP was at Suzuka in 1963, starting a series that ran for five years, moving to Fuji for the last two. Those racers were for the smaller classes. The 500s raced in Japan for the first time in 1987, back at Suzuka, which has been the home of the race ever since, except for a one-year break in 1999, when the race was held at the new Motegi circuit, which since then has hosted the Pacific GP to give Japan a second race. The atmospheric track and the presence of senior Japanese industry figures give the Suzuka race a special feeling and significance. 

Proton Team KR can hardly wait for this first round. "I think we could surprise a few people," said team owner Kenny Roberts. "If everything runs smoothly, without mishaps or weather problems, I believe that Jurgen is capable of running in the front group, and perhaps even leading. Then who knows what might happen on the last lap ......" 

The former triple 500 champion and father of defending champion Kenny Roberts Junior has good reason for his optimism. This is the first time in the five-season history of his three-cylinder lightweight racer that bike and rider will come to the start line fully tested and in perfect health. Previously either the all-new machine's development programme or rider injury has intervened.   To Roberts, van den Goorbergh has been a vital ingredient. "Jurgen is one of the top four or five riders in the world today. He really understands the technicalities of how to make a motorcycle go fast. We are very lucky to have him." 

At the same time, the team will need everything to go right if they are to fulfill the aim of top-three podium finishes at the first race. "Suzuka does not particularly favour our bike, and this Mk3 machine has never been on the race-track, while the Japanese factory bikes had a test there in the last few weeks. That's a down-side for us: we need two full days of dry practice and no niggling problems," continued Roberts. 

"If that happens, it all goes right, and I think he can run in the leading group. We know he can stay in their slipstream on the long straight, and he should be able to brake better than the V4s into the final chicane. It could be a pretty exciting last lap," he concluded. 

Jurgen is also eager - "Testing went almost too well," he said. "I was anxious to compare the Proton with the V4s at the tests earlier this year, and it stood up well. Ever since then, I've been anxious for the racing to begin.   "Suzuka is the first of 16 rounds, and though it is not one of the tracks that is really special for our bike, we can still get a good result. I'm aiming for a smooth start to the season, with a regular weekend just getting the best out of the bike and starting off with some good points to build on during the year." 

Yamaha are fielding eight riders on official Yamaha YZR 500 machinery. Spearheading Yamaha’s 500 MotoGP efforts will be the Marlboro Yamaha Team, with four-time 250 Grand Prix World Champion Max Biaggi, and Spaniard Carlos Checa. Both riders have featured well in all the combined IRTA pre-season test they’ve attended – Jerez, Estoril and Suzuka - challenging the lap record and circuit outright fastest lap to be regulars at the top of the times sheets.  “From track to track no one has been more consistent than either of our riders,” said Marlboro Yamaha Team manager Geoff Crust, after the final pre-season test, held at Suzuka. “And while some riders have been putting in just one or two quick laps, Carlos and Max have both been fast and consistent everywhere we’ve been to test.”

Red Bull Yamaha WCM rider Garry McCoy is another who has set an impressive pace during testing, with only his Suzuka performance lacking due to the effects of the flu. So confident in his capabilities, and that of the team’s, McCoy has completed almost every test a day early.

His new Red Bull teammate, Noriyuki Haga has spent the lead up to the 2001 MotoGP title coming to terms with the characteristics of the factory YZR500 – the two-stroke power delivery, carbon fibre brakes, stiffer chassis and the Michelin tyres. Even so the former Superbike-sensation has proven himself worthy of his new perch by regularly circulating well within the top ten.

Also making the transition into the premier class, reigning 250 MotoGP champion Olivier Jacque and Gauloises Yamaha Tech 3 teammate Shinya Nakano have spent the last few months adapting to the more powerful YZR machines. And though the former ended his pre-season in Sepang, Malaysia in January, with a broken right forearm, Jacque is feeling confident he can put in a strong performance at Suzuka with what he has learnt to date.

Meanwhile Nakano has approached the 500 challenges with the wisdom and maturity of a true world champion. His lap times have seen him circulate as quickly as some of the more experienced competition, yet the 23-year-old continues to control the competitive impulse to go too fast too soon. Waiting until he completely understands the 180ps two-stroke before concerning himself with lap-times.

Antena 3 Yamaha d’Antin will maintain its 500 campaign with the experienced Norick Abe who continues to improve both his speed and consistency. He will be joined on the grid in Japan by new teammate José Luis Cardoso. The Spaniard will pilot a 2000 spec YZR500 during the year, and has managed to work his way up the times sheets in a short period of time.

Australia's Mark Willis will be debuting the new Pulse 500GP bike and will be trying to get in as many laps as possible during practice as he has only ridden the new bike on one occasion. I spoke to Mark about the new bike - "The power delivery is a little different to what I have been accustomed to. When we tested in France we running Mikuni carbs but for Suzuka we should have Keihin carbs which should improve things. The bike proved to be very reliable on it's first time out and a after a full days testing all we broke was an engine mount bolt and a couple of other tiny things which is quite remarkable for such a new project. The chassis feels well balanced but the test we did was more of a shakedown than an effort to chase laptimes. In France I spun the bike up a lot to see how it responded and it proved quite controllable and predictable. Turn in fast, maybe a little too quick and we may change that a little for Suzuka. This season should see us come up with some good results later on in the year and give us a good basis to make a full scale assault in 2002."

Defending Champion Kenny Roberts is keen to make a good start to the season - "The first race of the year is often unpredictable. That could be in our favour. We did a lot of work with different things during testing, but this is racing, and it's different. Anything can happen. Most of the corners at Suzuka, are fast and flowing, which suits the Suzuki, and there aren't too many drag-strip corner exits - except the last run to the finish line. Last year there was a big leading group, and there's no reason to think this year will be different. I expect to be part of that group, and then it's up to me to work my way through it. It's been a long winter. I can't wait to get started - the racing is the easy part." 

Roberts and Gibernau come to the first race with a new motorcycle - in that both chassis and motor have been redesigned. But there are no radical changes. The latest version of Suzuki's RGV500-Gamma design, the XR / B1, is very much an evolution of last year's winning machine. 

During testing, the team asked for some more detailed changes to the chassis, and by the final sessions at Suzuka they were satisfied that development had regained a positive direction, and that the new bike was not only an improvement on the 2000 model, but had still further potential.   "Obviously we want to give Kenny the best possible equipment in his quest for a second title in succession," said team manager Garry Taylor. "We think he's the best rider out there, and we know he can make a big difference on his own account. It's our task to make the job as easy as we can for him, and for Sete - because the close times in testing prove that this coming season will be just as tough and competitive as the last one." 

Gibernau, the team newcomer, comes to Suzuki fresh from a difficult season on a rival factory machine that was having a bad year - and he is looking to set the record straight in 2001. The Spanish rider was faster on the Suzuki than he had been on the Honda from his very first test.  "I'm not expecting my first race on the Suzuki to be easy, but I am really looking forward to it. I have really been very happy getting to know a new bike and a new team. We seem to work well together. Now is the time to put it to the test. My plan for the year is to put last year's interruption behind me and start to get some of the results I know I can achieve. I'll be aiming for top-three finishes, on the rostrum, and if I can help Kenny by taking points away from the other riders, then I'll be satisfied that I am going in the direction that I want." 

Alex Criville hopes to find some confidence and regain his rhythm in Suzuka, a circuit owned by Honda, whereas for Tohru Ukawa, who only just stepped up to the highest category, Suzuka marks the debut of his 500 career in front of thousands of Japanese fans that will flock to this circuit in order to be part of this traditional party weekend.

During the pre-season, Team Repsol YPF Honda went through an intense schedule of tests and Tohru Ukawa rode more kilometres than anybody else aboard the new bike, impressing his team with his rapid adaptation.  “We had a good pre-season, doing almost 3000 kilometres, but now all I want is the season to start, because I can’t wait to see where we are really at in a race. I understand that tests are very important, but unless we are racing, we don’t now our level exactly, and in which direction we have to work and to improve in order to be more competitive. The fact that the first race is in my country is an extra motivation for me, but it means more pressure at the same time. After our intense pre-season, I’m very satisfied and ready for the first Grand Prix of the year.” said Ukawa.

Alex Criville had a pre-season with some accidents and really needs to come away with a good result this weekend to give him some much needed confidence - “Suzuka is quite a technical and difficult circuit, which makes it very important to have the motorcycle well set-up. Some changes have been made to improve safety, but I don’t think that this will have an impact on lap times. This circuit is owned by Honda, and when we race there, we always try everything in order to give the fans, directors and workers of the brand a good result. The Japanese riders are going out there highly motivated, therefore I believe that they will be the guys to beat in this first race of the season.”

Rossi, who won two races in his rookie 500 year to finish the 2000 season second overall, was fourth quickest in the  Suzuka tests and also inside the lap record. The youngster focused on adjusting the set-up of his NSR500 for Suzuka's demanding curves and is optimistic he'll have a profitable race weekend.  "The set-up we achieved during the tests was good and I'm hopeful of a good start to the championship," says the Italian. "But it's a long season and it'll be important not to make mistakes at the first few races; I know that after I crashed out of the first two races of last year!"

Last year at Suzuka (2000)