FIM 250cc GP World Championship Sachsenring, Germany July 16 Race Results: 1. Yuki TAKAHASHI (Honda), 29 laps, 41:30.350 2. Alex DE ANGELIS (Aprilia), -0.058 seconds 3. Jorge LORENZO (Aprilia), -1.013 seconds 4. Andrea DOVIZIOSO (Honda), -4.021 seconds 5. Hector BARBERA (Aprilia), -9.384 seconds 6. Roberto LOCATELLI (Aprilia), -19.242 seconds 7. Anthony WEST (Aprilia), -26.457 seconds 8. Hiroshi AOYAMA (KTM), -26.607 seconds 9. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda), -26.741 seconds 10. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Aprilia), -30.621 seconds 11. Alex BALDOLINI (Aprilia), -44.754 seconds 12. Franco BATTAINI (Aprilia), -45.063 seconds 13. Manuel POGGIALI (KTM), -48.793 seconds 14. Jakub SMRZ (Aprilia), -52.317 seconds 15. Aleix ESPARGARO (Honda), -52.369 seconds Point Standings (After 10 of 16 races): 1. LORENZO, 174 points 2. DOVIZIOSO, 172 points 3. TAKAHASHI, 133 points 4. DE ANGELIS, 131 points 5. H. AOYAMA, 116 points 6. LOCATELLI, 114 points 7. BARBERA, 100 points 8. GUINTOLI, 65 points 9. WEST, 58 points 10. SIMONCELLI, 55 points More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: HONDA 200 X 250CC WINS 16-06-2006 Yuki Takahashi and the RS250RW score 200th Honda 250 GP victory As Yuki Takahashi crossed the line here at The Sachsenring, to notch up Honda’s 200th win in the 250cc class, there were a few old faces who remembered his namesake Kunimitsu Takahashi crossing the finish line at Hockenheim in 1961 to record Honda’s first ever win in the class. “It’s incredible! Another rider named Takahashi won the first 250cc GP for Honda in 1961 and I clinched the 200th success for the company here today. This gives me great satisfaction.” Said the young Japanese Humangest Honda star. Few would have believed that in the space of just 45 years Honda would accumulate 200 Grand Prix wins in the 250cc class, especially as the factory withdrew from the class for 18 of those years. Despite the attentions of rival factories, some big, some small, few were even remotely as successful as Honda over such a long period of time. That first four-cylinder RC162 stunned the Grand Prix world and went on reap 29 wins anywhere from the confined twists of Montjuich Park in Barcelona to the high-speed sweeps of Spa Francorchamps in Belgium. Its highly effective multi-cylinder architecture proved what was possible in engineering terms and paved the way for one of the most exciting times in the development of the quarter-litre class. The great Mike Hailwood won Honda’s first 250cc World title in 1961 and Jim Redman followed that up with World Championships in 1962 and ’63 aboard the RC163. Just as rivals were reeling from the sheer effectiveness of the RC162 and RC163, Honda astonished the world again at the final European GP of 1965 with the incredible RC166, the six-cylinder marvel that catapulted the Hailwood to another two World Championships. As well as being a devastatingly effective race machine, the RC166 was also one of those rare, iconic motorcycles, never forgotten by those who saw it, or perhaps even more memorably, heard it howling through those six open megaphone exhausts at up to 17,000rpm, in the days when such ceilings were truly stratospheric. But it wasn’t until 1985 that Honda achieved the first milestone of 50 wins in the class when the remarkable Freddie Spencer signalled Honda’s return to 250cc Grands Prix after the 18-year absence with a win at the high-speed Salzburgring in Austria. If the RC166 was a classic legend, the NSR250 was a modern masterpiece that cemented Honda’s reputation as a factory that could change the complexion of a class via adventurous engineering. “Fast Freddie” won the 1985 250cc World Championship and the mighty NSR went on to win another eight World titles, yielding 141 race wins, and confirming the reputation of giant of the class Anton Mang, and establishing those of Luca Cadalora and Daijiro Kato. Kato and the NSR even bested Hailwood’s record of 10 wins in one season from 1966, when the Japanese won 11 races and the title in the 2001 season. After Kato another legend would be created in the class when Dani Pedrosa rode the Honda RS250RW to victory in his debut race at Welkom in South Africa. Dani, who went on to win two World Championships in the class, became the youngest rider, at just 19 years and 18 days old to win a 250cc Grand Prix, adding yet another record to Honda’s huge haul in this category. Not only are there the 15 World Championships, but 19 Constructor’s titles too, and a record of 19 wins in succession from Takahashi’s opening win of the 1961 season to Jim Redman’s victory at Monza, Italy at the end of the 1962 season. From multi-cylinder four-strokes to beautifully effective two-strokes, Honda has left its indelible stamp on the 250cc class Hondas top five 250cc Grand Prix race winners. 1. Mike Hailwood 20. 2. Jim Redman 18. 3. Daijiro Kato 17 4. Luca Cadalora 15. 5. Daniel Pedrosa 15. Honda 250cc GP highlights 1961 2006. 1961: Kunimitsu Takahashi RC162 wins gives Honda first ever 250cc Grand Prix victory at West German GP Hockenheim. Mike Hailwood and RC162 win rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1962-63: Jim Redman and RC162 and RC163 retain rider manufacturer World Championship titles. 1966: Mike Hailwood and RC166 regain rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. Hailwood scores record 10 class victories on his way to the title. 1967: Mike Hailwood and RC166 regain rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1967: Japanese manufacturers withdraw from World Championship racing. 1985: Honda return to the 250cc World Championship. Freddie Spencer and the Honda NSR250.win rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1986: Honda retain manufacturers title with NSR250. 1987: Anton Mang and Honda NSR win rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1988-89: Alfonso Pons and Honda NSR win rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1988-89: Luca Cadalora and Honda NSR win rider and manufacturer World Championship titles. 1993-94-96: Honda NSR250 wins manufacturer World Championship. 1997: Max Biaggi and Honda NSR250 win manufacturer World Championship 2001: Daijiro Kato and Honda NSR250 win manufacturer World Championship titles. Kato wins 11 races on his way to the title beating the previous record of 10 held by jointly by Mike Hailwood, set in 1966 and Toni Mang set in 1981. 2004-05: Dani Pedrosa and Honda NSR250 win manufacturer World Championship titles. 2006: Yuki Takahashi, Humangest Honda RS250RW, wins German GP, The Sachsenring, to give Honda their 200th 250cc Grand Prix victory. Honda 250cc World Championship winners – rider and manufacturer. Year. / Rider. / Manufacturers. 1961 / Mike Hailwood / Honda 1962 / Jim Redman / Honda 1963 / Jim Redman / Honda 1966 / Mike Hailwood / Honda 1967 / Mike Hailwood / Honda 1985 / Freddie Spencer / Honda 1986 / Freddie Spencer / Honda 1987 / Anton Mang / Honda 1988 / Alfonso Pons / Honda 1989 / Alfonso Pons / Honda 1991 / Luca Cadalora / Honda 1992 / Luca Cadalora / Honda 1993 / Luca Cadalora / Honda 1994 / Luca Cadalora / Honda 1996 / Luca Cadalora / Honda 1997 / Max Biaggi / Honda 2001 / Daijiro Kato / Honda 2004 / Dani Pedrosa / Honda 2005 / Dani Pedrosa / Honda Total wins: / 15. / 19.