Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.



By John Ulrich

American John Hopkins may have arrived in MotoGP on a Yamaha YZR500 one year too late. Despite his team’s hope that new 990cc MotoGP four-strokes would have teething problems in 2002, giving riders on the tried-and-tested two-stroke 500s a good chance, it hasn’t turned out that way.

Still, Hopkins’ best qualifying result in 2002 to date has been 6th and his best finish to date has been 7th, not bad for a teenager racing a 500 for the first time on GP tracks.

As an interesting diversion, we compared Hopkins’ qualifying times from 2002 with the pole position time from the same race in 2001, when everybody was on two-stroke 500s. The results show that Hopkins, if he had turned the same times on the unchanged-for-2002 YZR500 in 2001, would have taken pole three times.

Of course, this is just speculation, a case of what might have been, and all that really matters is what did happen. In 2002, what did happen is that MotoGP rookie Hopkins was at a distinct disadvantage to rivals on 990cc four-strokes.

Complicating any attempt at comparison is the fact that Hopkins is one of only three regular MotoGP riders on Dunlops in 2002, and the fact that Michelin’s latest MotoGP tires are significantly better than the Michelins used by the entire field in 2001.

The comparison follows:

Suzuka, Japan
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 2:06.302
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 18
Finishing Position: 12
2001 Pole: 2:04.777, Capirossi, NSR500

Welcom, South Africa
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:36.092
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 17
Finishing Position: 14
2001 Pole: 1:34.629, Rossi, NSR500

Jerez, Spain
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:43.916
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 16
Finishing Position: 13
2001 Pole: 1:42.739, Rossi, NSR500

Lemans, France
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:37.707
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 19
Finishing Position: 11
2001 Pole: 1:38.421, Biaggi, YZR500

Mugello, Italy
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:52.923
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 13
Finishing Position: 12
2001 Pole: 1:52.554, Rossi, NSR500

Barcelona, Spain
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:45.148
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 6
Finishing Position: 10
2001 Pole: 1:45.507, Rossi, NSR500

Assen, Holland
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 2:02.764
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 10
Finishing Position: 7
2001 Pole: 2:00.743, Capirossi, NSR500

Donington, England
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:31.977
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 6
Finishing Position: 8
2001 Pole: 1:31.964, Biaggi, YZR500

Sachsen, Germany
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:26.551
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 14
Finishing Position: DNS, injury
2001 Pole: 1:26.097, Biaggi, YZR500

Brno, Czech Republic
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 2:00.241
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 7
Finishing Position: DNF, mechanical
2001 Pole: 2:00.347, Biaggi, YZR500

Estoril, Portugal
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:41.092
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 15
Finishing Position: 8
2001 Pole: 1:40.076, Biaggi, YZR500

Rio, Brazil
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:51.624
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 14
Finishing Position: 14
2001 Pole: 1:51.431, Ukawa, NSR500

Motegi, Japan
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:50.849
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 16
Finishing Position: 14
2001 Pole: 1:49.800, Capirossi, NSR500

Sepang, Malaysia
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 2:06.857
Hopkins Qualifying Position: 19
Finishing Position: 18
2001 Pole: 2:05.637, Capirossi, NSR500

Phillip Island, Australia
Hopkins 2002 Qualifying Time: 1:33.424
Hopkins Qualifing Position: 14
Finishing Position: 16
2001 Pole: 1:31.984, Biaggi, YZR500