Langbahn Team – Weltmeisterschaft

Tetsuya Harada

Tetsuya Harada
Tetsuya Harada on the Yamaha TZ250 (1993)
NationalityJapanese
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1990 - 2002
First race1990 250cc Japanese Grand Prix
Last race2002 500cc Valencia Grand Prix
First win1993 250cc Australian Grand Prix
Last win2001 250cc Pacific Grand Prix
Team(s)Yamaha, Aprilia
Championships250cc - 1993
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
145 17 55 21 21 1546

Tetsuya Harada (原田哲也, Harada Tetsuya, born June 14, 1970) is a Japanese former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was the 1993 FIM 250cc World Champion.[1][2]

Early years

Born in Chiba, Japan, Harada won the Japanese 125cc Junior championship in 1988, and was runner-up to Tadayuki Okada in the All-Japan 250cc series in both 1990 and 1991, before taking the crown in 1992.[2] In all three years he competed in the Japanese round of the 250cc World Championship, twice starting on the front row and twice scoring points. His performance earned him a sponsored ride in the 1993 250cc World Championship.

250 career

Riding a Yamaha TZ250, he won four races including his home race and won the 1993 250cc World Championship in his first attempt defeating Honda's Loris Capirossi.[1][2] A wrist injury affected his performance in the 1994 season, finishing 7th overall with only a single podium finish. In 1995 Harada was Max Biaggi's main competitor for the 250 title. He won one race and finished 2nd eight times.[1] In 1996 his bike was underpowered and he only reached the podium four times. He was on the verge of retiring when Aprilia offered him a bike for the 1997 season. Although his 235 points were the most he scored in a season, he finished the season in third place behind Biaggi and Ralf Waldmann.[1][2]

In 1998 Harada battled his Aprilia teammate Capirossi for the championship, leading for most of the season, until the two riders were involved in a controversial incident at the final race of the year in Argentina.[3] Harada had the world championship within sight, leading the race into the final corner of the final lap when Harada's bike was rammed from behind by Capirossi's machine, sending the Japanese rider off the track. Valentino Rossi took the victory while Capirossi claimed second place and the world championship. Harada would finish the season in third place behind Capirossi and Rossi.

500 career

In 1999 Harada moved up to the 500cc class to compete on Aprilia's 380cc V-twin race bike. He obtained top 5 finishes in the first 10 races, including podium results at Paul Ricard and Donington Park: however, the bike's performance subsequently faded and he could not improve his results.[1] In 2000 he was less competitive, coming 16th overall. In 2001 he made another attempt to obtain a second 250cc world championship, taking 8 poles and three victories: the title, however, went to fellow Japanese Daijiro Kato.[1] For 2002 he entered the MotoGP class aboard a Honda two-stroke, but this proved to be his final year of professional racing, as he retired after a difficult season that saw him finish 17th overall. He ended his career with 17 Grand Prix victories, all in the 250cc class.[1]

Grand Prix career statistics[1]

Points system from 1988 to 1992:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1993:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Points Rank Wins
1990 250cc Yamaha TZ250 JPN
7
USA
-
ESP
-
NAT
-
GER
-
AUT
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
HUN
-
AUS
-
9 27th 0
1991 250cc Nescafé Can RT Yamaha TZ250 JPN
6
AUS
-
USA
-
ESP
-
ITA
-
GER
-
AUT
-
EUR
-
NED
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
RSM
-
CZE
-
VDM
-
MAL
-
10 24th 0
1992 250cc Nescafé Can RT Yamaha TZ250 JPN
NC
AUS
-
MAL
-
ESP
-
ITA
-
EUR
-
GER
-
NED
-
HUN
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
BRA
-
RSA
-
0 - 0
1993 250cc Telcor Yamaha Valesi TZ250 AUS
1
MAL
2
JPN
1
ESP
1
AUT
6
GER
6
NED
2
EUR
NC
RSM
3
GBR
DNF
CZE
6
ITA
DNF
USA
5
FIM
1
197 1st 4
1994 250cc Yamaha of France TZ250 AUS
DNS
MAL
-
JPN
9
ESP
7
AUT
NC
GER
7
NED
NC
ITA
2
FRA
8
GBR
4
CZE
NC
USA
3
ARG
3
EUR
5
109 7th 0
1995 250cc Marlboro Yamaha TZ250 AUS
2
MAL
2
JPN
4
ESP
1
GER
2
ITA
2
NED
DNS
FRA
5
GBR
2
CZE
2
BRA
5
ARG
2
EUR
2
220 2nd 1
1996 250cc Marlboro Yamaha TZ250 MAL
2
INA
1
JPN
NC
ESP
2
ITA
6
FRA
3
NED
10
GER
NC
GBR
DNS
AUT
NC
CZE
9
IMO
NC
CAT
-
BRA
-
AUS
-
104 8th 1
1997 250cc Aprilia RS250 MAL
2
JPN
3
ESP
2
ITA
NC
AUT
18
FRA
1
NED
1
IMO
5
GER
1
BRA
2
GBR
2
CZE
3
CAT
4
INA
4
AUS
5
235 3rd 3
1998 250cc Aprilia RS250 JPN
4
MAL
1
ESP
NC
ITA
3
FRA
1
MAD
1
NED
DNF
GBR
2
GER
1
CZE
1
IMO
10
CAT
2
AUS
DNF
ARG
NC
200 3rd 5
1999 500cc Aprilia RSW500 MAL
13
JPN
NC
ESP
NC
FRA
3
ITA
4
CAT
4
NED
11
GBR
3
GER
7
CZE
5
IMO
13
VAL
11
AUS
NC
RSA
15
BRA
12
ARG
11
104 10th 0
2000 500cc Aprilia RSW500 RSA
NC
MAL
12
JPN
NC
ESP
11
FRA
10
ITA
NC
CAT
9
NED
12
GBR
NC
GER
NC
CZE
14
POR
14
VAL
NC
BRA
13
PAC
13
AUS
14
38 16th 0
2001 250cc Aprilia RS250 JPN
2
RSA
3
ESP
2
FRA
2
ITA
1
CAT
2
NED
24
GBR
18
GER
3
CZE
1
POR
3
VAL
2
PAC
1
AUS
2
MAL
2
BRA
6
273 2nd 3
2002 MotoGP Pramac-Honda NSR500 JPN
11
RSA
12
ESP
10
FRA
NC
ITA
10
CAT
13
NED
13
GBR
11
GER
NC
CZE
15
POR
10
BRA
13
PAC
15
MAL
NC
AUS
14
VAL
14
47 17th 0

References