As of round 17 Race · updated 10/13/2026, 07:18 PM (Japan time)

Riders

Masao Azuma

Nationality: Japan
Number: 8
Born: March 24, 1971(age 55)
Birthplace: Osaka
Height / weight: 165 cm / 54 kg (official profile, fetched October 2026; weight and height change over time)

Photos (3)

2011
Rikita · CC BY-SA 3.0
2014
Rainmaker47 · CC BY-SA 3.0
2018
Steve · CC BY 2.0

Freely licensed photos from Wikimedia Commons. Tap a photo for its source page (photographer, licence). The year is when it was taken.

Birth date and place from the official rider profile

Career

Made a Grand Prix debut in 125cc at Suzuka in 1996.

In 125cc (1996–2003): 92 starts, 9 wins, 18 podiums.

First podium: Suzuka 1998 (125cc). First win: Phillip Island 1998 (125cc).

In all, 92 Grand Prix starts, 9 wins and 18 podiums (within the official results database).

Written automatically from the official results database (no opinions about the rider)

Season by season

125cc ★ Champion

The strip shows each year's team (team colour). Tap for team and machine

Scope: official results DB, 1996–2003 (the rider's racing years)

Totals

125cc1996–2003

Win rate9.1%

Podium rate18.2%

Average finish (when classified)avg P8.0

873 pts · Poles 2

18 of these races have no result in the official data; their results come from the Italian Wikipedia.

1996	Suzuka	grid 7	6 +10
1997	Shah Alam	grid 17	12 +4
1997	Suzuka	grid 13	4 +13
1997	Jerez	grid 15	9 +7
1997	Mugello	grid 14	11 +5
1997	Red Bull Ring	grid 17	11 +5
1997	Paul Ricard	grid 9	9 +7
1997	Assen	grid 18	10 +6
1997	Imola	grid 14	9 +7
1997	Nürburgring		DNF
1997	Rio	grid 18	17
1997	Donington		13 +3
1997	Brno	grid 27	DNF
1997	Catalunya	grid 15	DNF
1997	Sentul	grid 13	11 +5
1997	Phillip Island	grid 15	12 +4
1998	Suzuka	grid 6	3 +16
1998	Johor	grid 10	9 +7
1998	Jerez	grid 8	4 +13
1998	Mugello	grid 13	9 +7
1998	Paul Ricard	grid 9	3 +16
1998	Jarama	grid 6	DNF
1998	Assen	grid 5	10 +6
1998	Donington	grid 20	DNF
1998	Sachsenring	grid 15	DNF
1998	Brno	grid 4	DNF
1998	Imola	grid 10	3 +16
1998	Catalunya	grid 3	3 +16
1998	Phillip Island	grid 4	1 +25
1998	Buenos Aires	grid 10	4 +13
1999	Sepang	grid 4	1 +25
1999	Motegi	grid 6	1 +25
1999	Jerez	grid 1	1 +25
1999	Paul Ricard	grid 2	4 +13
1999	Mugello	grid 12	7 +9
1999	Catalunya	grid 8	DNF
1999	Assen	grid 2	1 +25
1999	Donington	grid 7	1 +25
1999	Sachsenring	grid 9	6 +10
1999	Brno	grid 11	12 +4
1999	Imola	grid 13	10 +6
1999	Valencia	grid 4	DNF
1999	Phillip Island	grid 16	5 +11
1999	Welkom	grid 8	14 +2
1999	Rio	grid 2	6 +10
1999	Buenos Aires	grid 1	DNF
2000	Welkom		9 +7
2000	Sepang	grid 7	8 +8
2000	Suzuka	grid 12	3 +16
2000	Jerez	grid 11	4 +13
2000	Le Mans	grid 11	DNF
2000	Mugello	grid 12	3 +16
2000	Catalunya	grid 11	2 +20
2000	Assen	grid 17	9 +7
2000	Donington	grid 12	5
2000	Sachsenring	grid 5	Out on lap 1
2000	Brno	grid 10	DNF
2000	Estoril	grid 11	DNF
2000	Valencia	grid 6	2 +20
2000	Rio	grid 9	2 +20
2000	Motegi	grid 4	4 +13
2000	Phillip Island	grid 5	1 +25
2001	Suzuka	grid 4	1 +25
2001	Welkom	grid 9	10 +6
2001	Jerez	grid 9	1 +25
2001	Le Mans	grid 17	8 +8
2001	Mugello	grid 7	8 +8
2001	Catalunya	grid 18	DNF
2001	Assen	grid 17	DNF
2001	Donington	grid 4	4 +13
2001	Sachsenring	grid 11	4 +13
2001	Brno	grid 12	13 +3
2001	Estoril	grid 24	DNF
2001	Valencia	grid 20	23
2001	Motegi	grid 3	5 +11
2001	Phillip Island	grid 14	4 +13
2001	Sepang	grid 10	8 +8
2001	Rio	grid 21	7 +9
2002	Suzuka		DNF
2002	Welkom		9 +7
2002	Jerez	grid 19	8 +8
2002	Le Mans		5 +11
2002	Mugello		13 +3
2002	Catalunya		15 +1
2002	Assen	grid 13	14 +2
2002	Donington		4 +13
2002	Sachsenring		15 +1
2002	Brno		12 +4
2002	Estoril	grid 20	5 +11
2002	Rio	grid 18	1 +25
2002	Motegi	grid 11	18
2002	Sepang		9 +7
2002	Phillip Island	grid 17	8 +8
2002	Valencia	grid 19	18
2003	Suzuka	grid 30	17
2003	Welkom		9 +7
2003	Jerez	grid 17	11 +5
2003	Le Mans	grid 14	10 +6
2003	Mugello	grid 22	14 +2
2003	Catalunya	grid 24	22
2003	Assen	grid 22	DNF
2003	Donington	grid 22	13 +3
2003	Sachsenring	grid 32	DNF
2003	Brno	grid 19	13 +3
2003	Estoril	grid 15	13 +3
2003	Rio	grid 17	DNF
2003	Motegi	grid 21	13 +3
2003	Sepang	grid 12	5 +11
2003	Phillip Island	grid 17	2 +20
2003	Valencia	grid 31	15 +1

Points are counted per class, never added across classes. Tap a number for the list of races | Scope: official results DB, 1996–2003 (the rider's racing years)

Against the greats, and the class of their debut

Grand Prix debut in 1996. Of the 63 riders who debuted that year, 0 also raced in 2026.

Valentino Rossi 9 world titles
16 races together: ahead 2, behind 14, both out 0
Jorge Lorenzo 5 world titles
30 races together: ahead 20, behind 9, both out 1
Jorge Martinez 4 world titles
15 races together: ahead 5, behind 9, both out 1
Dani Pedrosa 3 world titles
45 races together: ahead 11, behind 33, both out 1

Greats: 2+ world titles or 30+ MotoGP / 500cc wins. Up to 4 who shared 10+ races, most titles first. A finisher counts as ahead of a non-finisher.

Results by condition (races)

125cc 110 races · 1996–2003

By grid position

From Grid 10–15, they move up from an average grid of 12.3 to an average finish of 8.0

average grid average finish (classified)

Grid 1–3	2.0 → 3.3	2 wins / 7 races
Grid 4–6	4.8 → 2.8	5 wins / 14 races
Grid 7–9	8.2 → 6.0	2 wins / 13 races
Grid 10–15	12.3 → 8.0	0 wins / 32 races
Grid 16〜	20.5 → 11.4	1 wins / 31 races

By circuit (best average first)Small sample

In 125cc, best at Phillip Island (average P4.7, 7 races)

Buenos Aires2 racesavg P4.0

Phillip Island7 racesavg P4.7

Paul Ricard3 racesavg P5.3

Jerez7 racesavg P5.4

Suzuka7 racesavg P5.7

Sepang5 racesavg P6.2

Rio6 racesavg P6.6

Donington7 racesavg P6.7

Imola3 racesavg P7.3

Le Mans4 racesavg P7.7

Motegi5 racesavg P8.2

Sachsenring6 racesavg P8.3

Assen7 racesavg P8.8

Estoril4 racesavg P9.0

Johor1 racesavg P9.0

Mugello7 racesavg P9.3

Welkom5 racesavg P10.2

Catalunya7 racesavg P10.5

Red Bull Ring1 racesavg P11.0

Sentul1 racesavg P11.0

Shah Alam1 racesavg P12.0

Brno7 racesavg P12.5

Valencia5 racesavg P14.5

Jarama1 races—

Nürburgring1 races—

125cc: all in the Multiple suppliers era; no track-condition records.

Fewer than 30 races: small sample (dashed). Average finish counts classified finishes only | Scope: official results DB, 1996–2003 (the rider's racing years)

Distance ridden and distance travelled

Counted from 1949 (lap lengths before 1998 researched from published sources: estimates)17 races with an estimated lap length

Ridden on the bike

Every session

at least 6,191 miles
0.2× around the Earth · 2,139 laps

Travelled between circuits

at least 318,123 miles
12.8× around the Earth · at least 28.6 days

From 1949. Every session in the seasons with the lap analysis documents, races only before. Tests not included. Laps × that year's lap length.A minimum, calculated from straight-line distances between circuits. Connections, tests and trips home are not included, so the real figures are longer.

Every race

100%Start rate (109/109)

0Longest run of absences (races)

109Longest run of starts (races)

0Estimated points lost to absences

1Win3Podium8Points18No pointsRRetired–Absent

1997 125cc P15 · 66 pts

1998 125cc P4 · 135 pts

1999 125cc P3 · 190 pts

2000 125cc P4 · 165 pts

2001 125cc P5 · 142 pts

2002 125cc P8 · 101 pts

2003 125cc P16 · 64 pts

Tap a cell for the event, qualifying, sprint and race results and points

? How the estimate is made

Estimate = average of the last 3 races before each absence

Seasons in which at least half of the races were started | Scope: official results DB, 1996–2003 (the rider's racing years)