Biaggi Triumphs in Australian 500cc Grand Prix
October 30, 2000 - 0:0
PHILLIP ISLAND, Australia Yamaha's Max Biaggi won a gripping Australian 500cc Grand Prix on Sunday, the final race of the season, to lead an Italian clean sweep of the top three places and secure third place in the world championship.
"It was a brilliant race. I started in 12th position on the third row and did not get the best start but I fought from the first corner," said Biaggi. biaggi carved his way through the field from the start and held off Emerson Honda rider Loris Capirossi to win narrowly after a race-long battle in which a host of riders fought for the lead. "There was a lot of touching (of bikes) and at the end only three of us fought for the championship." Biaggi won by just 0.182 seconds after Capirossi tried repeatedly to wrest the lead from him in the final lap.
The pair had traded the top position in the closing stages, with fellow Italian Valentino Rossi, on a Honda, and Brazil's Alex Barros also right in the firing line for much of the race.
Rossi eventually finished third, just 0.288 seconds behind the winner, with Barros a close fourth and Australian Garry McCoy fifth, although less than two seconds behind the winner. New world champion Kenny Roberts Jr., who had secured the title in Brazil earlier this month, was seventh. Biaggi entered the final race of the year in sixth place in the championship but the 25 points he earned on Sunday from his second win of the year lifted him to third, above Barros and McCoy. Spain's Carlos Checa, who had been third going into the race, crashed out as he led on the first lap.
Roberts finished on top of the standings with 258 points, ahead of Rossi (209) and Biaggi (170). The win by Biaggi also secured Yamaha their first 500cc constructors title in seven years.
(Reuter)
"It was a brilliant race. I started in 12th position on the third row and did not get the best start but I fought from the first corner," said Biaggi. biaggi carved his way through the field from the start and held off Emerson Honda rider Loris Capirossi to win narrowly after a race-long battle in which a host of riders fought for the lead. "There was a lot of touching (of bikes) and at the end only three of us fought for the championship." Biaggi won by just 0.182 seconds after Capirossi tried repeatedly to wrest the lead from him in the final lap.
The pair had traded the top position in the closing stages, with fellow Italian Valentino Rossi, on a Honda, and Brazil's Alex Barros also right in the firing line for much of the race.
Rossi eventually finished third, just 0.288 seconds behind the winner, with Barros a close fourth and Australian Garry McCoy fifth, although less than two seconds behind the winner. New world champion Kenny Roberts Jr., who had secured the title in Brazil earlier this month, was seventh. Biaggi entered the final race of the year in sixth place in the championship but the 25 points he earned on Sunday from his second win of the year lifted him to third, above Barros and McCoy. Spain's Carlos Checa, who had been third going into the race, crashed out as he led on the first lap.
Roberts finished on top of the standings with 258 points, ahead of Rossi (209) and Biaggi (170). The win by Biaggi also secured Yamaha their first 500cc constructors title in seven years.
(Reuter)