Roberto Locatelli
Roberto " Loca " Locatelli (born 5 July 1974 in Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy ) is an Italian former motorcycle racer.
In 2000 he became world champion in the 125cc class of the MotoGP World Championship.
- 3.1 External links
- 3.2 Notes and references
Career
Roberto Locatelli gained his first experience in the Italian championship, which he won in 1993. The following year, 1994, he made his debut at the Grand Prix of Italy in the 125 cc class of the motorcycle world championship as a wildcard rider. He immediately reached the pole position and was in the race after an accident tenth.
In the 1995 season Locatelli works driver was at Aprilia in the 250 cc class. At the first race of the season in the Australian Eastern Creek he fell in the first round in a pileup that was triggered by Luis d' Antin and suffered a broken collarbone. A ninth place in the Brazilian Grand Prix was his best result of the season, in the overall standings, he landed on rank 17
Also in the 1996 season did not make the breakthrough Loca. In the two years in the 250 cc class, he did not make it retract a single podium.
From 1997 to 1998 Roberto Locatelli started on Honda in the 125cc class. In the first year he became World Cup rollercoaster with 97 points. In the 1998 season he managed for third place at the Grand Prix of Germany at Sachsenring his first podium finish, it will also lead him three pole positions. In the World Cup overall standings he finished ninth.
For the 1999 season the team moved Locatelli Vasco Rossi Vasco Rossi Racing the Italian singer and started on Aprilia. He won the Grand Prix of France and Italy and finished second in the championship with 173 points, fourth place.
In the 2000 season started Loca continue to Vasco Rossi Racing and celebrated the biggest success of his career. With five wins, eight podium finishes and nine pole positions he was charged with 230 points champion of the 125 - cc class.
Then began for Locatelli difficult times, he found no place in a work team, 2001 and 2002, he competed in the 250 cc class on Honda and Aprilia, finishing each eighth in the World Cup.
For the 2003 season, he went back to the 125 cc class for newcomers KTM. After a disappointing season with only 18 points from 16 races and 24th place in the overall standings, he left the Austrians again and joined the team of Lucio Cecchinello, where he piloted a 125 - cc Aprilia and with two wins and six podiums in the 2004 season with 193 points was in third place overall. When after the season a maximum age of 28 years was introduced for 125 cc pilot, he was allowed, as well as the German no longer start Steve Jenkner, and rose again by the 250 cc class.
The 2005 season was not great, Locatelli reached with 61 points Rank 13 of the championship standings.
For the 2006 season, Roberto Locatelli moved to the Hungarian Team Toth, where he drove a 2005-spec machine factory of Aprilia. There he experienced a miraculous resurrection and had all the critics who thought he was too old and had already written off, fall silent. He surpassed all expectations this year, finished every race in the top 10, achieved two podiums and finished with 191 points, fifth overall.
In the 2007 season, Roberto Locatelli piloted in the 250 cc class is a factory bike from Gilera which was identical in design to the current factory bike from Aprilia. On 24 March 2007, he crashed during practice for the Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez and suffered serious injuries while on the head, the lung and the left ankle.
After 224 starts in the Motorcycle World Championship, nine wins, 25 podiums, 18 pole positions and ten fastest race laps Roberto Locatelli ended after the 2009 season, his active driving career.
He works in the future as a driving instructor and sports coordinator of the Junior GP FMI team. The Junior Team is an initiative of the Italian Motorcycle Federation, the hopeful talents produce and is intended to promote.
Statistics
Title
- 2000 - 125 cc World Champion on Aprilia
- 9 Grand Prix victories