-
 Birth
date: 08/08/1982
- Birth place: Ravenna, ITA
- First Grand Prix: 1997 CZE 125cc
- First Pole Position 1998 GER 125cc
- First Race Fastest Lap 1998 AUS 125cc
- First Podium 1998 ITA 125cc
- First GP Victory 1998 NED 125cc
- Grand Prix Starts 75
- 250cc Starts 41
- 125cc Starts 34
- Grand Prix Victories 16
- 250cc Victories 9
- 125cc Victories 7
- 2nd Places
14
- 3rd Places
11
- Podium 41
- Pole Positions 8
- Race Fastest Lap 12
- World Championship Wins 1
2002 250cc
- Total Points 1054
BIOGRAPHICAL DATA
Born in Ravenna on the 8th August 1982,
Marco Melandri was encouraged to ride
motorcycles from an early age by his father Dino, who was close friends
with Loris Reggiani.
The former rider saw the youngster race
minibikes at just eight years of age and four
years later he took him to ride a road bike at a full size circuit.
Despite not being able to touch the ground with
his feet, Marco lapped within a
second of the lap record. He made his Grand Prix
debut shortly after his fifteenth birthday and
went on to break many of the records set by his great friend Valentino
Rossi.
Marco shares his passion between
motorcycles and music, and in his free time he
mixes it up on the decks as his alias DJ. Jouri.
GP CAREER
- 1996: Takes part in the Honda 125 RS
Cup and the 125cc Italian Championship.
- 1997: Makes 125cc World Championship
debut riding a Honda at the Czech Republic
Grand Prix, where he finishes 17th.
- 1998: Contests first full season in
125cc World Championship riding a Honda and
becomes the youngest ever Grand Prix winner.
Final Championship position: 3rd with 202 points - 2 wins: Assen
and Czech Republic.
- 1999: Runner-up in 125cc World
Championship riding a Honda after fighting for the
title until the final race. Final
Championship position: 2nd with 226 points - 5 wins: Germany, Czech
Republic, Imola, Australia and Argentina.
- 2000: Contests first full season in
250cc World Championship riding an official
Aprilia and picks up four podium finishes.
Final Championship position: 5th with 159 points
- 2001: Second season in 250cc World
Championship, taking first win in the
category. Final Championship position:
3rd with 194 points. - 1 win: Germany.
- 2002:
Wins 250cc. World Championship riding for MS Aprilia Racing.
Final Championship position: 1st with 273 points after 15 of 16
rounds. 8 wins so far: Welkom, Italy,
Catalunya, Assen, Great Britain, Germany, Czech
Republic and Australia.
OTHER FACTS
- Marco Melandri becomes the youngest
ever rider to win the 250cc World
Championship, aged 20 years 74 days. He takes this record from Valentino
Rossi who won the title in 1999 aged 20 years
250 days.
- Melandri holds the distinction of
being the youngest ever Grand Prix winner, a
record he set when taking victory in the 125cc race at the Dutch TT at
Assen in 1998 aged just 15 years 324 days.
- Melandri also holds the record for
being the youngest ever rider to finish on the
podium of a 250cc Grand Prix, when finishing third in Portugal in 2000.
- On his way to the title, Melandri
scored six consecutive victories. Only two riders,
Mike Hailwood and Anton Mang have had more consecutive wins in
the 250cc class in the history of GP racing.
- Melandri becomes the fourth rider to
win the 250cc title riding an Aprilia, following
on from his fellow Italians; Max Biaggi, Loris Capirossi and
Valentino Rossi.
|
