2011 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 2011 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 63rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. The 2011 season was also the final season for 800cc engines in MotoGP, and also for 125cc machinery, as both MotoGP switched back to 1000cc engines and a new four-stroke Moto3 class was also introduced in 2012.
Casey Stoner was crowned as MotoGP World Champion for the second time, following his ninth victory of the season at the Australian Grand Prix. Stoner, who was champion previously in, finished 16 of the 17 races to be held in the top three placings – equalling a premier class record held by both Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo – including ten wins to become the final 800cc champion before the premier class reverted to 1000cc engines in. As of 2019, this was the last time the premier class was won by a non-European rider, and also the only season in the 2010s decade that the premier class was won by a rider other than Marc Márquez or Jorge Lorenzo.
The Moto2 title was decided before the final race of the season at the Valencian Grand Prix. Stefan Bradl became Germany's first motorcycle World Champion since Dirk Raudies won the 125cc World Championship title after Marc Márquez, the only rider that could deny Bradl of the championship, was ruled out of the race due to injuries suffered during free practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The final 125cc world championship title went to Spain's Nicolás Terol, after he finished second in the final race of the season in Valencia, and his only title rival Johann Zarco crashed out during the early stages of the race. Terol, who finished third in the class in and second to Márquez in, ended the season 40 points clear of Zarco, with Maverick Viñales 14 points further behind, after winning the final two races of the season.
The season was marred by the death of Marco Simoncelli at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
2011 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 2011:An 18-race provisional calendar was announced on 30 September 2010.
The Japanese Grand Prix, originally scheduled for 24 April, was moved to 2 October due to the effects of the Tōhoku earthquake and the Fukushima I nuclear accidents.
| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
| 1 | 20 March ‡ | Commercialbank Grand Prix of Qatar | Losail International Circuit |
| 2 | 3 April | Gran Premio bwin de España | Circuito de Jerez |
| 3 | 1 May | bwin Portuguese Grand Prix | Autódromo do Estoril |
| 4 | 15 May | Monster Energy Grand Prix de France | Bugatti Circuit |
| 5 | 5 June | Gran Premi Aperol de Catalunya | Circuit de Catalunya |
| 6 | 12 June | AirAsia British Grand Prix | Silverstone Circuit |
| 7 | 25 June †† | Iveco TT Assen | TT Circuit Assen |
| 8 | 3 July | Gran Premio d'Italia TIM | Mugello Circuit |
| 9 | 17 July | eni Motorrad Grand Prix Deutschland | Sachsenring |
| 10 | 24 July † | Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix | Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca |
| 11 | 14 August | Cardion ab Grand Prix České republiky | Brno Circuit |
| 12 | 28 August | Red Bull Indianapolis Grand Prix | Indianapolis Motor Speedway |
| 13 | 4 September | Gran Premio Aperol di San Marino e Della Riviera di Rimini | Misano World Circuit |
| 14 | 18 September | Gran Premio de Aragón | Motorland Aragón |
| 15 | 2 October | Grand Prix of Japan | Twin Ring Motegi |
| 16 | 16 October | Iveco Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix | Phillip Island Circuit |
| 17 | 23 October | Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix | Sepang International Circuit |
| 18 | 6 November | Gran Premio Generali de la Comunitat Valenciana | Circuit Ricardo Tormo |
Calendar changes
- The Portuguese Grand Prix was moved forward, from 31 October to 1 May.
- The Italian Grand Prix was moved back, from 6 June to 3 July.
- The Catalan Grand Prix was moved forward, from 4 July to 5 June.
- Only the MotoGP class raced during the United States Grand Prix because of a Californian law on air pollution, preventing the 125cc and Moto2 classes from racing.
2011 Grand Prix season results
Participants
MotoGP participants
- A 17-rider provisional entry list was released on 24 January 2011. Seven-time MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi rode for the factory Ducati team, whilst Casey Stoner, winner of the MotoGP championship in 2007, moved to the factory Honda team. Jorge Lorenzo, Dani Pedrosa & Andrea Dovizioso retained their seats at the factory Yamaha and Honda teams respectively. Former World Superbike champion Ben Spies moved from the Tech 3 Yamaha team to the factory Yamaha team. Moto2 champion in 2010, Toni Elías returned to the MotoGP class with Team LCR, while Karel Abraham also moved up from Moto2, as he signed a contract to ride a privateer Ducati in 2011.
Rider changes
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