Hiroshi Aoyama


Hiroshi Aoyama is a Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He is the older brother of former 250cc and World Superbike rider, Shuhei Aoyama.
In his six seasons in the 250cc World Championship, he raced Honda and KTM machinery in an Aprilia-dominated class. He took eight victories and never finished lower than seventh overall. He won the 2009 250cc World Championship, becoming the last ever winner of this class before its replacement by the Moto2 class in 2010. In 2010 Aoyama moved up to the premier class with Interwetten Racing. He stopped competing in MotoGP after the 2014 season and took on the role of HRC test rider and advisor to riders in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup.

Career

Early career

Born in Ichihara, Chiba, Aoyama first raced in MiniMoto at the age of 4, racing against Yuki Takahashi, who he has raced against for most of his career. In 2008 he referred to Takahashi as a "respected rival".
He rode in the All-Japan Road Racing Championship until 2003, when he won the 250cc championship with Honda. He also rode a couple of events as wildcard rider in the Grand Prix World Championships, finishing 2nd in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

125cc, 250cc & MotoGP World Championship

In 2004 he joined the 250cc World Championship full-time, still racing for Honda. His debut season gave him two third places and 6th place in the championship. In the following year he scored his maiden victory in his home race at Motegi and finished the championship in 4th place.
However, he was not able to stay on at Honda, so he moved to KTM for 2006 season. He brought them victories in Istanbul and Motegi, the first two for the manufacturer in the class. For the second year in row, he was 4th in overall standings.
Aoyama ended the 2007 season in sixth place in the 250 championship with victories in Germany and Malaysia. He remained with KTM for the 2008 season and finished the season in seventh place with two second-place finishes.
After KTM's withdrawal from 250cc class, Aoyama returned to Honda with Team Scot replacing his rival Yuki Takahashi who briefly moved up to MotoGP class. The 2009 season went well as he scored 4 wins, 3 second places and finished every other race in the points. At last race of the season Aoyama became the world champion.
Aoyama stepped up to MotoGP in 2010 on board the Emmi-Caffè Latte Team Honda RC212V. In initial testing the team opted not to use the electronic rider aids, despite the bikes being designed around them. The team's technical director Tom Jojic explained that he wanted Aoyama to experience the bike's true nature, and believes that he is good enough to be competitive on it. His season was wrecked by a fractured vertebra sustained in a practice crash at Silverstone, eliminating him for much of the season.
Aoyama was a consistent race finisher in 2011, mainly finishing in the bottom end of the top ten, but finished fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix. Aoyama also replaced Dani Pedrosa on the factory-spec Repsol Honda bike for the Dutch TT in Assen, after Pedrosa's injury at the French Grand Prix. Aoyama moved to World Superbikes for the season, joining Jonathan Rea at Castrol Honda.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year

YearClassBike123456789101112131415161718PosPts
2000250ccHondaRSAMALJPNSPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORVALBRAPAC
8		AUS28th8
2001250ccHondaJPN
13		RSASPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORVALPAC
21		AUSMALBRA28th3
2002250ccHondaJPN
12		RSASPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORBRAPAC
11		MALAUSVAL27th9
2003250ccHondaJPN
2		RSASPAFRAITACATNEDGBRGERCZEPORBRAPAC
5		MALAUSVAL15th31
2004250ccHondaRSA
11		SPA
Ret		FRA
4		ITA
9		CAT
6		NED
10		BRA
6		GER
4		GBR
9		CZE
7		POR
9		JPN
3		QAT
3		MAL
Ret		AUS
7		VAL
DSQ		6th128
2005250ccHondaSPA
Ret		POR
6		CHN
3		FRA
6		ITA
7		CAT
4		NED
4		GBR
Ret		GER
3		CZE
5		JPN
1		MAL
5		QAT
6		AUS
6		TUR
3		VAL
6		4th180
2006250ccKTMSPA
6		QAT
5		TUR
1		CHN
3		FRA
4		ITA
Ret		CAT
6		NED
9		GBR
3		GER
8		CZE
3		MAL
Ret		AUS
3		JPN
1		POR
2		VAL
Ret		4th193
2007250ccKTMQAT
Ret		SPA
6		TUR
Ret		CHN
9		FRA
Ret		ITA
21		CAT
7		GBR
3		NED
5		GER
1		CZE
6		RSM
2		POR
Ret		JPN
8		AUS
4		MAL
1		VAL
10		6th160
2008250ccKTMQAT
16		SPA
4		POR
5		CHN
2		FRA
7		ITA
8		CAT
7		GBR
6		NED
6		GER
8		CZE
13		RSM
Ret		IND
C		JPN
9		AUS
Ret		MAL
2		VAL
5		7th139
2009250ccHondaQAT
4		JPN
2		SPA
1		FRA
8		ITA
6		CAT
2		NED
1		GER
4		GBR
1		CZE
4		IND
2		RSM
4		POR
4		AUS
7		MAL
1		VAL
7		1st261
2010MotoGPHondaQAT
10		SPA
14		FRA
11		ITA
11		GBR
DNS		NEDCATGERUSACZEIND
12		RSM
12		ARA
13		JPN
10		MAL
7		AUS
13		POR
12		VAL
14		15th53
2011MotoGPHondaQAT
10		SPA
4		POR
7		FRA
8		CAT
Ret		GBR
9		NED
8		ITA
11		GER
15		USA
10		CZE
9		IND
9		RSM
11		ARA
11		JPN
9		AUS
Ret		MAL
C		VAL
12		10th98
MotoGPBQRQATSPAPORFRACATGBRNEDGERITAUSAINDCZERSMARAJPNMALAUSVAL
13		25th3
MotoGPFTRQAT
15		AME
17		SPA
18		FRA
19		ITA
Ret		CAT
WD		NEDGER
17		USA
16		IND
15		CZE
14		GBR
18		RSM
14		ARA
14		MAL
11		AUS
20		JPN
17		VAL
16		20th13
MotoGPHondaQAT
11		AME
12		ARG
10		SPA
12		FRA
14		ITA
14		CAT
15		NED
16		GER
12		IND
10		CZE
13		GBR
14		RSM
12		ARA
8		JPN
13		AUS
8		MAL
11		VAL
15		14th68
MotoGPHondaQATAME
11		ARG
Ret		SPA
Ret		FRAITACATNEDGER
Ret		INDCZEGBRRSMARAJPNAUSMALVAL25th5
2016MotoGPHondaQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERAUTCZEGBRRSMARA
JPN
15		AUS
MAL
16		VAL
25th1
MotoGPHondaQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARAJPN
18		AUSMALVALNC0

Superbike World Championship

By season

Races by year