Hiroshi Aoyama

is a Japanese retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, and current team principal of Honda Team Asia. Aoyama is best known for winning the 2009 250cc World Championship title. He is the older brother of former 250cc and World Superbike rider, Shuhei Aoyama.

In his six seasons in the 250cc World Championship, Aoyama raced Honda and KTM machinery in an Aprilia-dominated class. He took nine victories and never finished lower than seventh overall. By winning the 2009 250cc World Championship, Aoyama become the last winner of this class before its replacement by the Moto2 class in 2010. In 2010 he 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".

Aoyama 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.

250cc & MotoGP World Championship

In 2004, Aoyama 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, Aoyama 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 four wins, three 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 (which is itself new to MotoGP) 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 (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pos Pts 2000 250cc Honda RSA MAL JPN SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR VAL BRA PAC AUS 28th 8 2001 250cc Honda JPN RSA SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR VAL PAC AUS MAL BRA 28th 3 2002 250cc Honda JPN RSA SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR BRA PAC MAL AUS VAL 27th 9 2003 250cc Honda JPN RSA SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR BRA PAC MAL AUS VAL 15th 31 2004 250cc Honda RSA SPA FRA ITA CAT NED BRA GER GBR CZE POR JPN QAT MAL AUS VAL 6th 128 2005 250cc Honda SPA POR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE JPN MAL QAT AUS TUR VAL 4th 180 2006 250cc KTM SPA QAT TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE MAL AUS JPN POR VAL 4th 193 2007 250cc KTM QAT SPA TUR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER CZE RSM POR JPN AUS MAL VAL 6th 160 2008 250cc KTM QAT SPA POR CHN FRA ITA CAT GBR NED GER CZE RSM INP JPN AUS MAL VAL 7th 139 2009 250cc Honda QAT JPN SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER GBR CZE INP RSM POR AUS MAL VAL 1st 261 2010 MotoGP Honda QAT SPA FRA ITA GBR NED CAT GER USA CZE INP RSM ARA JPN MAL AUS POR VAL 15th 53 2011 MotoGP Honda QAT SPA POR FRA CAT GBR NED ITA GER USA CZE INP RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 10th 98 MotoGP BQR QAT SPA POR FRA CAT GBR NED GER ITA USA INP CZE RSM ARA JPN MAL AUS VAL 25th 3 MotoGP FTR QAT AME SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER USA INP CZE GBR RSM ARA MAL AUS JPN VAL 20th 13 MotoGP Honda QAT AME ARG SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER INP CZE GBR RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 14th 68 MotoGP Honda QAT AME ARG SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER INP CZE GBR RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 25th 5 MotoGP Honda QAT ARG AME SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GER AUT CZE GBR RSM ARA JPN AUS MAL VAL 25th 1 MotoGP HondaQATARGAMESPAFRAITACATNEDGERCZEAUTGBRRSMARAJPNAUSMALVAL 30th 0

Superbike World Championship

By season SeasonMotorcycleTeamRaceWinPodiumPoleFLapPtsPlcd Honda CBR1000RR Honda World Superbike Team 27 0 0 0 0 61.5 18th Total 27 0 0 0 0 61.5

Races by year (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Pos Pts R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 2012 Honda AUS AUS ITA ITA NED NED ITA ITA EUR EUR USA USA SMR SMR SPA SPA CZE CZE GBR GBR RUS RUS GER GER POR POR FRA FRA 18th 61.5