Wataru Yoshikawa (吉川 和多留, Yoshikawa Wataru, born September 26, 1968 in Tokyo) is a Japanese motorcycle rider.

Wataru Yoshikawa
Yoshikawa testing in 2011
NationalityJapanese
Born (1968-09-26) September 26, 1968 (age 56)
Tokyo, Japan
Motorcycle racing career statistics
MotoGP World Championship
Active years2002, 2010
ManufacturersYamaha
Championships0
2010 championship position22nd (1 pt)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
2 0 0 0 0 5

Yoshikawa won the All Japan Superbike Championship in 1994 and 1999. He also participated in the World Superbike Championship, finishing 9th in the 1996 season. In 2003 Yoshikawa finished second at the Suzuka 8 Hours, partnering Shinichi Nakatomi on a Yamaha YZF-R1.[1]

Yoshikawa is a test rider for the Yamaha factory, and helped to develop the Yamaha YZR-M1. On June 23, 2010, it was announced that Yoshikawa would replace the injured Valentino Rossi in the MotoGP Yamaha factory works team, until Rossi was again able to race.[2][3]

Yoshikawa was the team manager of Yamaha's All Japan Road Race Championship factory team at the 39th "Coca-Cola Zero" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Road Race held during July 28 to July 31, 2016, at the Suzuka Circuit in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan.[4]

Career statistics

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Superbike World Championship

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Races by year

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(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 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
1992 Yamaha SPA SPA GBR GBR GER GER BEL BEL SPA SPA AUT AUT ITA ITA MAL MAL JPN
25
JPN
14
NED NED ITA ITA AUS AUS NZL NZL 65th 2
1994 Yamaha GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT AUT INA INA JPN
5
JPN
4
NED NED SMR SMR EUR EUR AUS AUS 27th 24
1995 Yamaha GER GER SMR SMR GBR GBR ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT AUT USA USA EUR EUR JPN
7
JPN
5
NED NED INA INA AUS AUS 25th 20
1996 Yamaha SMR
9
SMR
11
GBR
9
GBR
12
GER
DNS
GER
DNS
ITA ITA CZE
9
CZE
11
USA
9
USA
8
EUR
10
EUR
6
INA
7
INA
7
JPN
3
JPN
8
NED
10
NED
7
SPA
6
SPA
5
AUS
6
AUS
7
9th 163
1997 Yamaha AUS AUS SMR SMR GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA USA USA EUR EUR AUT AUT NED NED SPA SPA JPN
5
JPN
Ret
INA INA NC 0†
1998 Yamaha AUS AUS GBR GBR ITA ITA SPA SPA GER GER SMR SMR RSA RSA USA USA EUR EUR AUT AUT NED NED JPN
9
JPN
7
24th 16
1999 Yamaha RSA RSA AUS AUS GBR GBR SPA SPA ITA ITA GER GER SMR SMR USA USA EUR EUR AUT AUT NED NED GER GER JPN
5
JPN
6
26th 21
2000 Yamaha RSA RSA AUS AUS JPN
8
JPN
2
GBR GBR ITA ITA GER GER SMR SMR SPA SPA USA USA EUR EUR NED NED GER
12
GER
9
GBR GBR 24th 39
2001 Yamaha SPA SPA RSA RSA AUS AUS JPN
10
JPN
Ret
ITA ITA GBR GBR GER GER SMR SMR USA USA EUR EUR GER GER NED NED ITA ITA 38th 6
2002 Yamaha SPA SPA AUS AUS RSA RSA JPN
8
JPN
8
ITA ITA GBR GBR GER GER SMR SMR USA USA GBR GBR GER GER NED NED ITA ITA 27th 16

Ineligible for championship points.

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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Races by year

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(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
2002 MotoGP Yamaha JPN RSA SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE POR BRA PAC
12
MAL AUS VAL 25th 4
2010 MotoGP Yamaha QAT SPA FRA ITA GBR NED CAT
15
GER USA CZE INP SMR ARA JPN MAL AUS POR VAL 22nd 1

References

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  1. ^ "The 26th "Coca-Cola" Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance: 2003 FIM World Endurance Championship, Round 6". motoracing-japan.com. Moto Racing Japan. 2003-08-03. Archived from the original on 2011-03-15. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
  2. ^ Beer, Matt (2010-06-23). "Test rider Yoshikawa to sub for Rossi". autosport.com. Haymarket Publications. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  3. ^ "Yoshikawa to replace Rossi in Spain". GPOne. Partita IVA. 2010-06-23. Retrieved 2010-06-23.
  4. ^ "Pol Espargaró Headlines Yamaha Suzuka 8 Hour Defense". BeIN Sports. 2016-07-28.
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