MotoGP 2003 - Round 15 - Phillip Island

Valentino Rossi goes equal with Eddie Lawson Valentino Rossi’s victory at Sepang was his 31st career win in the premier-class of Grand Prix racing, the same number achieved by four times Champion Eddie Lawson. Only three riders in Grand Prix history have had more success in the premier-class than Rossi.

500 / MotoGP Wins	Rider	World Titles
68	Giacomo Agostini	8
54	Mick Doohan	5
37	Mike Hailwood	4
31	Eddie Lawson	4
31	Valentino Rossi	3
25	Kevin Schwantz	1
24	Wayne Rainey	3
22	Geoff Duke	4
22	Kenny Roberts	3
22	John Surtees	4

Valentino Rossi has now finished on the podium at twenty consecutive races. The last time he failed to get in the top three was when he retired from the race with tyre problems at the Czech GP at Brno in 2002, which ended a sequence of thirteen consecutive podiums. Only Giacomo Agostini has a longer run in the premier-class, achieved over three seasons in the late 1960’s riding the MV-Agusta. Rossi could equal Agostini’s record by finishing on the podium at the two remaining races of 2003. This table shows the most consecutive numbers of podium finishes in the MotoGP or 500cc category.

Giacomo Agostini - 22 - 1967/1968/1969
Valentino Rossi - 20 - 2002/2003
Mick Doohan - 17 - 1994/1995
Wayne Rainey - 15 - 1989/1990
Mick Doohan - 14 - 1997
Mick Doohan - 13 - 1991/1992
Valentino Rossi - 13 - 2001/2002

Valentino Rossi’s victory at Sepang was his 52nd podium finish in the premier class. This takes him to sixth place in the following list, level with Wayne Gardner. This table shows the total number of podium finishes, wins, seconds and thirds in the premier class.

Rider	Podiums	Wins	Seconds	Thirds
Mick Doohan	95	54	31	10
Giacomo Agostini	88	68	20	0
Eddie Lawson	78	31	31	16
Wayne Rainey	64	24	22	18
Randy Mamola	54	13	22	19
Wayne Gardner	52	18	20	14
Valentino Rossi	52	31	13	8
Kevin Schwantz	51	25	13	13
Alex Criville	51	15	16	20
Mike Hailwood	48	37	9	2

Max Biaggi’s third place finish in Malaysia was the 98th podium finish of his Grand Prix career. This is the same number of podiums achieved by Jim Redman who won six World Championship titles during the 1960’s riding Honda machinery. If Biaggi finishes in the top three at the final two races of the year he will become only the fifth rider in the 55-year history of Grand Prix racing to have reached the milestone of 100 podium appearances. This table shows the highest number of podium finished in all solo classes of GP racing.

Rider	Podiums	Wins	Seconds	Thirds
Giacomo Agostini	159	122	35	2
Angel Nieto	139	90	35	14
Phil Read	121	52	44	25
Mike Hailwood	112	76	25	11
Jim Redman	98	45	33	20
Max Biaggi	98	41	34	23
Mick Doohan	95	54	31	10
Luigi Taveri	89	30	33	26
Valentino Rossi	88	57	19	12
Anton Mang	84	42	25	17

Valentino Rossi’s victory in Malaysia was the 13th victory of 2003 in the MotoGP class for Honda. With two races left this year it is possible that Honda could equal their own record from 1997 of 15 wins in a single season in the premier class. As shown in the following list this is the sixth time in the last eight years that Honda have scored more than 10 wins in a season. The following table shows the most victories in the premier class in one season by a manufacturer.

15 - Honda – 1997
14 - Honda – 2002
13 - Honda x 3 – 1996, 1998 and 2003 (from first 14 races)
12 - Honda – 2001
12 - MV Agusta – 1972
11 - MV-Agusta - 1970

Casey Stoner turns 18 the day before qualifying gets underway at Phillip Island. (Thursday).
Carlos Checa, who has not finished in the top ten for the last three years at Phillip Island, celebrates his 31st birthday on the Wednesday (today) before the Australian GP.
Jeremy McWilliams has started from pole on three occasions at Phillip Island; in 1999 for the 250cc GP, and in the premier-class in both 2000 (riding the V-twin Aprilia) and 2002. His pole last year in Australia, riding the three-cylinder Proton, was the last in the premier-class for a two-stroke machine.
Troy Bayliss won both World Superbike races at Phillip Island last year. Bayliss made his GP debut in the 250cc race at Philip Island in 1997 as a replacement rider for Noriyasu Numata on the works Suzuki.
Having scored 68 points in the last six races, Nicky Hayden has only been outscored over this period by Rossi, Biaggi and Gibernau.
Tohru Ukawa’s third place finish in Australia in 2002 was the last time that he has stood on a Grand Prix podium.
Prior to last year, when he finished in sixth place, Max Biaggi has taken a podium spot for the previous three years at Phillip Island, including a win in 2000 after qualifying on twelfth place on the grid.
Sete Gibernau’s best result at Phillip Island is sixth, which he has achieved on two occasions; in 1997 riding a Yamaha and in 1999 on a Honda. If Gibernau finishes in 14th place or higher he will have scored more points than any other rider finishing in runner-up position in the premier class World Championship. Alex Criville currently hold the record for being highest point scorer after finishing in second place in the premier class Championship, scoring 245 points in 1996.
Honda have taken seven victories in the premier-class at Phillip Island. The only non-Honda win was by Yamaha in 2000 with Max Biaggi.
Valentino Rossi has won four times at Phillip Island; the last two years in the premier-class and in the 250cc category in both 1998 and 1999. Phillip Island is one of only four circuits currently in use that Rossi has not started from pole in any class of GP racing, the others being Estoril, Motegi and Valencia. If Rossi should finish in the top three in Australia he will equal the record he set last year of finishing on the podium on fifteen occasions in one season.
This will be the 15th consecutive year that a Grand Prix has been held in Australia since 1989. The first two events were held at Phillip Island, followed by six at Eastern Creek, before returning to Phillip Island in 1997.