From a press release issued by the FIM:

Daijiro Kato

In a short period of time, the motorcycling world lost two great Champions. After Barry Sheene early March, Daijiro Kato passed away following serious injuries due to his accident during the Japanese Grand Prix last April 6.

Daijiro Kato was a rising star: his 250 World title brought him in the MotoGP class where he was considered as a potential World Champion. From 1996 to 1999, he took part in only one event of the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix each year: the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. He finished 3rd in 1996, he won in 1997 and 1998 and ended in 5th place in 1999. He also won there in 2000, in his first full season of the 250 World Championship Grand Prix in which he finished in the 3rd position, winning three more races (Portugal, Rio and Motegi). In 2001 he dominated the 250 class and won 11 out of 16 races – same number as Valentino Rossi in the 500cc class

FIM President Zerbi said: “It is indeed a tragedy that the promising career of Daijiro Kato has been so cruelly cut short. It is a very sad time for world motorcycle racing and a great loss for the motorcycling sport in Japan.”