Daijiro Kato

Daijiro Kato was a remarkably talented rider, whose full potential was never fully explored, when he shockingly died at the Suzuka circuit on April 6th, 2003. With 17 Grand Prix wins and the 2001 World Championship title in the 250cc category to his name, Kato was only in his second season of MotoGP at the time of his death.

In his maiden season, Kato displayed his immense talent by securing two podium results. The 26 year old Japanese star, had been a dominant force in the 250cc class during 2001, with 11 wins and 13 podium results. He stayed loyal to Honda and remained with the Japanese manufacturing giant right from 1996, his World Championship debut, where he attained the third position.

Kato showed clear signs of becoming a major contender and his standards were a benchmark for his competitors. Even though his 500cc debut was not as smooth as his 250cc performance, he clearly learned a lot and what he could have attained had he been alive, one can only imagine.

An inspiration to numerous young Japanese road races, Kato's death brought about new safety measures, which have probably saved countless lives.