1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1990 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Previous: 1989 Next: 1991

The 1990 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 42nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Contents

Season summary

1990 marked the beginning of the Rainey era with the Marlboro-Yamaha rider taking 7 wins and scoring points in every race but Hungary after he had already clinched the championship. Rainey's teammate was 1989 champion Eddie Lawson, but he was unable to defend his championship after breaking his left ankle in the first round and then severely shattering his right ankle the following round at Laguna Seca. Rainey on having Lawson as a teammate: “I just wanted to devastate Eddie. I don’t think he was ready for a team-mate like me. Maybe he thought he could control me, but at that stage I was past being controlled.”[1] Rainey switched from Dunlop to Michelin tires this year.

Kevin Schwantz continued to win on his Suzuki but just as often he would crash. Australian Mick Doohan would win his first Grand Prix for Honda at the Hungaroring.

The 1990 season continued the trend of crashes as riders tried to cope with the harsh power output of the V4 two-strokes. Honda put forth a proposition limiting the top class to 375cc and 3 cylinders, but that never caught on. Still, with 500cc lap times becoming stagnant, it was clear that something needed to be done.

Newcomer John Kocinski took the 250 title for Kenny Roberts' Marlboro-Yamaha squad after a tight points battle with Carlos Cardús. Seventeen year old Loris Capirossi became the youngest-ever world champion when he claimed the 125 crown for Honda.

Grands Prix

Round Race Location 125cc winner 250cc winner 500cc winner Report
1 Japan Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka Netherlands Hans Spaan Italy Luca Cadalora United States Wayne Rainey Report
2 United States United States Grand Prix Laguna Seca No race United States John Kocinski United States Wayne Rainey Report
3 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Jerez Spain Jorge Martínez United States John Kocinski Australia Wayne Gardner Report
4 Italy Nations Grand Prix Misano Spain Jorge Martínez United States John Kocinski United States Wayne Rainey Report
5 Germany German Grand Prix Nürburgring Italy Doriano Romboni Netherlands Wilco Zeelenberg United States Kevin Schwantz Report
6 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Spain Jorge Martínez Italy Luca Cadalora United States Kevin Schwantz Report
7 Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka West Germany Stefan Prein Spain Carlos Cardús United States Wayne Rainey Report
8 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Italy Doriano Romboni United States John Kocinski United States Kevin Schwantz Report
9 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Netherlands Hans Spaan United States John Kocinski United States Wayne Rainey Report
10 France French Grand Prix Le Mans Netherlands Hans Spaan Spain Carlos Cardús United States Kevin Schwantz Report
11 United Kingdom British Grand Prix Donington Italy Loris Capirossi Italy Luca Cadalora United States Kevin Schwantz Report
12 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Netherlands Hans Spaan Spain Carlos Cardús United States Wayne Rainey Report
13 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakian Grand Prix Brno Netherlands Hans Spaan Spain Carlos Cardús United States Wayne Rainey Report
14 Hungary Hungarian Grand Prix Hungaroring Italy Loris Capirossi United States John Kocinski Australia Mick Doohan Report
15 Australia Australian Grand Prix Phillip Island Italy Loris Capirossi United States John Kocinski Australia Wayne Gardner Report

Final standings

500cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Team Machine Points Wins
1 United States Wayne Rainey 2 United States Marlboro-Yamaha YZR500 255 7
2 United States Kevin Schwantz 34 United States Lucky Strike-Suzuki RGV500 188 5
3 Australia Michael Doohan 9 Australia Rothmans-Honda NSR500 179 1
4 United Kingdom Niall Mackenzie 5 United Kingdom Lucky Strike-Suzuki RGV500 140 0
5 Australia Wayne Gardner 10 Australia Rothmans-Honda NSR500 138 2
6 Spain Juan Garriga 11 Spain Ducados-Yamaha YZR500 121 0
7 United States Eddie Lawson 1 United States Marlboro-Yamaha YZR500 118 0
8 France Jean-Philippe Ruggia 14 France Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 110 0
9 France Christian Sarron 3 France Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 84 0
10 Spain Sito Pons 6 Spain Campsa-Honda NSR500 76 0

250cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Team Machine Points Wins
1 United States John Kocinski 19 United States Marlboro-Yamaha Roberts YZR250 223 7
2 Spain Carlos Cardús 4 Spain Repsol-Honda NSR250 208 4
3 Italy Luca Cadalora 5 Italy Marlboro-Yamaha Agostini YZR250 184 3
4 West Germany Helmut Bradl 9 Germany HB-Honda NSR250 150 0
5 Netherlands Wilco Zeelenberg 14 Netherlands Sharp-Samson Honda NSR250 127 1
6 West Germany Martin Wimmer 10 Germany Hein Gericke Aprilia RS250 118 0
7 Japan Masahiro Shimizu 6 Japan Ajinomoto-Honda NSR250 100 0
8 West Germany Jochen Schmid 16 Germany HB-Honda NSR250 92 0
9 Switzerland Jacques Cornu 3 Switzerland Lucky Strike-Elf Honda NSR250 86 0
10 France Dominique Sarron 8 France Rothmans-Honda NSR250 78 0

125cc standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Loris Capirossi 65 Italy Honda 182 3
2 Netherlands Hans Spaan 2 Netherlands Honda 173 5
3 West Germany Stefan Prein 7 Germany Honda 169 1
4 Italy Doriano Romboni Italy Honda 130 2
5 West Germany Dirk Raudies Germany Honda 113 0
6 Spain Jorge Martínez Spain Derbi 105 3
7 Italy Fausto Gresini 8 Italy Honda 102 0
8 Italy Bruno Casanova 4 Italy Honda 97 0
9 Italy Alessandro Gramigni Italy Aprilia 84 0
10 Switzerland Heinz Lüthi Switzerland Honda 78 0

References

  1. ^ Scott, Michael: "Wayne Rainey", page 142. Haynes Publishing, 1997.

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