Italian Valentino Rossi raced his Honda to a comfortable victory at the Japanese 500cc motorcycling Grand Prix today, winning a place on the podium at Suzuka for the first time.
Last year's world championship runner-up seized the lead on the seventh lap and never looked like surrendering it in the first of the season's 16 races.
Rossi, who had never come higher than 11th at the figure-of-eight shaped circuit, finished more than eight-tenths of a second ahead of the pack,out-riding Australian Garry McCoy and Italian Max Biaggi to cross the line first.
McCoy, having muscled his Yamaha into second place on the 17th lap after Japan's Tohru Ukawa crashed his Honda, fended off a valiant challengefrom Biaggi and home favourite Norick Abe to snatch second spot.
Biaggi, riding a Yamaha, waited until the last lap to seize third place from Abe, last year's Japanese Grand Prix winner.
"I've never been on the podium before at Suzuka," a delighted Rossi said. "I've always been very unlucky, crashing a lot and never getting goodresults."
McCoy, who claimed a surprise victory in his first race in the 500cc class last year, was also pleased.
"I thought it'd be harder to get into the lead but then they came back at me," he said. "I tried to fight but Rossi pulled away. I'm happy withsecond."
Biaggi said the important thing was to have secured a podium place unscathed. The four-time 250cc world champion crashed out of last year'srace at Suzuka.
"I'm very pleased because for the last two years I've not scored points at the first grand prix," he said. "It's been on my mind that I must finishthe two races without injury."
Reuters