2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 56th F.I.M. Road racing World Championship season.
Season summary
At the end of 2003, HRC and Valentino Rossi had parted ways, and HRC held Rossi to the letter of their contract which stipulated he could not ride another manufacturer's machine until 31 December 2003. Rossi's move to Yamaha, therefore, was a gamble on a manufacturer that hadn't had a world championship in 12 years. Rossi won the first round of the season and lay to rest doubts about whether the rider or the motorcycle was more important when he achieved what no rider since Eddie Lawson had done in the history of the premier-class: he won back-to-back championships on different marques, Honda in 2003 and Yamaha in 2004.Runner-up Sete Gibernau gave Rossi a strong challenge initially, but faded towards the end of the season. The friendship between him and Rossi frayed over the season, and snapped completely at the Qatar round.
Another change in 2004 was also d'Antin Team, who switched their alliance from Yamaha to Ducati motorcycles after five-year alliance with Yamaha, marked the first time Ducati MotoGP manufacturer introduced a satellite customer team.
At the Italian round, the race ran for 17 laps before rain started, and according to the rules at the time, the race was decided on a second, 6-lap race and the previous 17 laps only counted for grid positions. Conditions dried enough that the riders started the new race in slicks instead of wet-weather tires. In 2005 the rules were changed so that rain would no longer stop a race in MotoGP.
The Rookie of the Year was Rubén Xaus.
2004 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2004:| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
| 1 | 18 April |  betandwin.com Africa's Grand Prix | Phakisa Freeway |
| 2 | 2 May |  Gran Premio Marlboro de España | Circuito de Jerez |
| 3 | 16 May |  Grand Prix Polini de France | Bugatti Circuit |
| 4 | 6 June |  Gran Premio Cinzano d'Italia | Mugello Circuit |
| 5 | 13 June |  Gran Premi Gauloises de Catalunya | Circuit de Catalunya |
| 6 | 26 June †† |  Gauloises TT Assen | Assen |
| 7 | 4 July |  Cinzano Rio Grand Prix | Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet |
| 8 | 18 July |  Veltins Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland | Sachsenring |
| 9 | 25 July |  Cinzano British Grand Prix | Donington Park |
| 10 | 22 August |  Gauloises Grand Prix České republiky | Brno Circuit |
| 11 | 5 September |  Grande Prémio Marlboro de Portugal | Autódromo do Estoril |
| 12 | 18 September |  Camel Grand Prix of Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| 13 | 2 October |  Marlboro Grand Prix of Qatar | Losail International Circuit |
| 14 | 10 October |  Marlboro Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix | Sepang International Circuit |
| 15 | 17 October |  Cinzano Australian Grand Prix | Phillip Island Circuit |
| 16 | 31 October |  Gran Premio Marlboro Comunitat Valenciana | Circuit de Valencia |
Calendar changes
- The Japanese Grand Prix moved from the Suzuka Circuit to the Twin Ring Motegi after the fatal accident of Japanese rider Daijiro Kato.
- The Japanese Grand Prix was moved back, from 6 April to 18 September.
- The Pacific Grand Prix was renamed the Japanese Grand Prix after the relocation to the Twin Ring Motegi.
- The Qatar Grand Prix was added to the calendar.
2004 Grand Prix season results
Participants
MotoGP participants
250cc participants
125cc participants
Standings
MotoGP riders' standings
;Scoring systemPoints 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 |
- Riders marked with light blue background are eligible for Rookie of the Year awards.
- Rounds marked with light blue background were under wet race conditions.
250cc riders' standings;Scoring systemPoints are awarded to the top fifteen finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
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