On 20 April 2003, the Japanese rider died two weeks after the terrible crash in Suzuka. In 2001 he was crowned world champion in 250 with Fausto Gresini
Bike destroyed and rider on the ground, lying on the asphalt. These are the latest pictures of Daijiro Kato in MotoGPon the occasion of Japanese Grand Prix disputed on 6 April 2003. The bishop Hondaformer king of the 250, would have died on April 20 of the same year, following the traumas of the terrible accident that occurred at the last chicane of the circuit of Suzuki. In addition to denying Japan itself the dream of seeing its own champion rider in the top class of the World Championship, Kato’s death, still shrouded today in the mysteries of the dynamics of the explosion, has raised more than one doubt about safety on the circuits.
safety
—
In fact, yellow concerns precisely the ways in which the accident took place. On the second lap of the race, Kato lost control of the RC211V number 74 of the Gresini team just before setting the braking at the final chicane. The motorbike, suddenly runaway, crashed into the barriers on the left side of the track. The causes of this crash were mainly attributed to the pilot, guilty of having exaggerated when braking. However, the suspicion of a failure of the electronic accelerator, the so-called ride-by-wire, remains alive. A hypothesis accredited by the noise of the engine, which always remained in the acceleration phase. However, the accident would have led to drastic changes related to the issue of safety. Starting from the motorbikes, with the insertion of four potentiometers, equally divided between throttle and accelerator, thus ensuring the slowing down of the vehicle even in the event of a breakdown. And then the circuits: tracks without adequate escape routes are banned. It was Suzuka who paid the price.
sample
—
Before the safety measures became effective, however, the World Championship found itself mourning Kato. The impact with the barriers had been so devastating as to leave the Japanese without a boot, lying in the middle of the track. The race wasn’t even suspended, limiting itself to transporting Daijiro to the nearest hospital. Fausto Gresini’s pupil went into a coma and, due to damage to his head, neck and ribcage, died two weeks after the impact, leaving his wife Makiko and children Ikko and Rinka. A serious mourning for the MotoGP enthusiasts who had early on met Kato’s talent. Lover of Italy, the Japanese made his debut in 250 in 1996 as a wild card, but soon became a fixture in that category which saw him triumph five years later. No less than 17 victories in 56 races on the Honda 250: numbers that foreshadow a future as a MotoGP star. Sensations confirmed by the excellent 2002 as a rookie. Then the Suzuka tragedy, the end of dreams and the memory of an unforgettable champion.
© REPRODUCTION RESERVED