File:Kazuto Sakata 1994 Japanese GP.jpg Kazuto Sakata (pictured at Suzuka) became the 1994 125cc world champion
The 1994 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 46th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary
1994 was the year in which Honda 's Mick Doohan began to stamp his authority on the Grand Prix world.[ 1] Honda's Longtime sponsor Rothmans left Honda to join Williams Renault in Formula One.[ 1] Doohan won 9 races, the most since Giacomo Agostini won 11 in 1972 .[ 1] Kevin Schwantz was injured in a pre-season bicycle crash and raced in 6 races with his arm in plaster.[ 1] Luca Cadalora took over from Wayne Rainey on the Yamaha and won two races. Aprilia began campaigning in the 500cc class with a 250 V twin motor enlarged to 380cc in hopes of using its lighter weight and nimble handling as an advantage.[ 1]
Max Biaggi would win his first world title for Aprilia in a tight 250 class battle against Loris Capirossi and Tadayuki Okada .[ 1] Kazuto Sakata won the 125 crown for Aprilia . He was the first Japanese rider to race for a European factory.[ 1]
Honda secured the constructor's title in all three categories.
1994 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1994:[ 2] [ 3]
Calendar changes
Participants
500cc participants
Team
Constructor
Motorcycle
No
Rider
Rounds
Japan Lucky Strike Suzuki
Suzuki
Suzuki RGV500 (XR84)
1
United States Kevin Schwantz
1–12
6
Brazil Alex Barros
All
12
Spain Juan López Mella
14
19
United Kingdom Sean Emmett
13–14
United States Marlboro Team Roberts
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500 (OWF9)
3
Australia Daryl Beattie
1–9, 12–14
5
Italy Luca Cadalora
All
56
Japan Norifumi Abe
10–11
56
Japan Norifumi Abe
12
Japan Honda Team HRC
Honda
Honda NSR500 (NV0S)
4
Australia Mick Doohan
All
7
Japan Shinichi Itoh
All
8
Spain Àlex Crivillé
All
Italy Cagiva Team Agostini
Cagiva
Cagiva C594
10
United States Doug Chandler
All
11
United States John Kocinski
All
70
United Kingdom Carl Fogarty
10
Spain Lopez Mella Racing Team (rd 1-3) Team Repsol
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
12
Spain Juan López Mella
1–9, 11–13
Italy Aprilia Racing Team
Aprilia
Aprilia RSW-2 500
13
Italy Loris Reggiani
4–8, 14
United Kingdom Team Millar
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
14
United Kingdom Jeremy McWilliams
All
United Kingdom Padgetts Motorcycles
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
15
United Kingdom John Reynolds
All
Belgium Euroteam
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
16
Belgium Laurent Naveau
All
Spain Ducados Honda Pons
Honda
Honda NSR500
17
Spain Alberto Puig
All
France Yamaha Motor France
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
18
France Bernard Garcia
1–3
France Team ROC
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
18
France Bernard Garcia
4, 6–14
28
Spain Julián Miralles
1–4
37
France Hervé Moineau
5
41
New Zealand Andrew Stroud
14
63
Germany Udo Mark
9–10
69
France Philippe Monneret
9
72
Germany Michael Liedl
11
79
United States Chuck Graves
12
United Kingdom Shell Harris Grand Prix
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
19
United Kingdom Sean Emmett
1–12
40
United Kingdom Neil Hodgson
13–14
52
Australia Scott Doohan
1
United Kingdom M.B.M. Racing
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
20
United Kingdom Kevin Mitchell
1–2, 4–14
Netherlands Team Doorakkers
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
21
Netherlands Cees Doorakkers
All
Italy Team Pedercini
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
23
Italy Lucio Pedercini
All
24
Italy Cristiano Migliorati
All
Italy Team Elit
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
25
Italy Marco Papa
1–2, 4–6, 11–14
38
Italy Ermanno Bastianini
8–9
39
United Kingdom James Haydon
10
Switzerland Haenggeli Racing
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
27
Switzerland Bernard Haenggeli
All
Spain ROC Coronas Repsol
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
28
Spain Julián Miralles
5–8
Austria Team Doppler Austria
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
29
Luxembourg Andreas Leuthe
All
Italy Team Paton
Paton
Paton V70 C9/2
30
Italy Vittorio Scatola
1–2, 4–8, 13–14
42
Italy Paul Pellissier
9, 11
Germany Sachsen Racing Team
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
31
Germany Lothar Neukirchner
1–7
32
Germany Evren Bischoff
9
63
Germany Udo Mark
6
France MTD Objectif 500
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
34
France Bruno Bonhuil
All
France Jean Foray Racing Team
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
36
France Jean Foray
All
France D.R. Team Shark
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
44
France Marc Garcia
All
United Kingdom Slick 50 Team WCM
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
50
United Kingdom Niall Mackenzie
All
France J.P.J. Racing
ROC-Yamaha
ROC-Yamaha GP1
51
France Jean-Pierre Jeandat
All
Japan Mister Donut Blue Fox
Honda
Honda NSR500
56
Japan Norifumi Abe
3
Japan YRTR
Yamaha
Yamaha YZR500
57
Japan Toshihiko Honma
3
Germany Manfred Erhardt
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
62
Germany Manfred Erhardt
6
United Kingdom Triton Team GB
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
73
United Kingdom Nick Hopkins
10
United Kingdom /Chile Shell Harris - Horta
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
77
Chile Felipe Horta
13
United Kingdom /Argentina YPF Padgetts - Yamasur
Harris-Yamaha
Harris-Yamaha SLS500
79
Argentina Nestor Amoroso
13
Source: [ 4]
Key
Regular Rider
Wildcard Rider
Replacement Rider
Results and standings
Grands Prix
500cc riders' standings
[ 5] [ 4]
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap
250cc riders' standings
[ 6]
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap
125cc riders' standings
[ 7]
Scoring system
Points are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
Points
25
20
16
13
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Colour
Result
Gold
Winner
Silver
Second place
Bronze
Third place
Green
Points finish
Blue
Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple
Retired (Ret)
Red
Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black
Disqualified (DSQ)
White
Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank
Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)
Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap
References