2000 British motorcycle Grand Prix

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The 2000 British Grand Prix at Donington Park took place on July 9, as the ninth round of the season. The weekend included a minute of silence for Joey Dunlop before racing and saw dramatic battles in all three classes as the track dried from earlier rain.

500cc race
The track was drying, and Valentino Rossi made a famous breakthrough, winning his first 500cc Grand Prix. The race started with some chaos as Rossi lost ground on the wet part of the track, but he fought his way forward through a tense battle that featured Kenny Roberts Jr. and Jeremy McWilliams. By the final laps, Roberts Jr. and McWilliams were right in the mix with Rossi still chasing the lead. In a dramatic finish, Rossi overtook McWilliams and then held on to win, with Roberts Jr. taking second and McWilliams third. The race is remembered for Rossi’s first win in the premier class and for the close, changing conditions that tested tyre choices and rider skill.

250cc race
Ralf Waldmann produced a remarkable win in wet-to-dry conditions, coming from nearly a full lap down to claim victory at the last corner as the track dried. Olivier Jacque finished second and Naoki Matsudo third. The race featured rain early on, with riders switching to rain tyres, and several riders moved through the field as conditions evolved. Aoki crashed on lap 16 but recovered to finish well.

125cc race
Youichi Ui took pole and then won the race, with Emilio Alzamora finishing second and Noboru Ueda third. Masao Azuma set the fastest lap in the 125cc race.

Season context
Going into the British round, Kenny Roberts Jr. led the championship with 125 points, ahead of Carlos Checa on 111 and Norick Abe on 91.

Highlights
- Rossi’s first win in the 500cc class, coming after a challenging race in changing conditions.
- Waldmann’s dramatic 250cc victory on a drying Donington track.
- Ui’s 125cc win, continuing his strong form from pole position.
- Aoki’s mid-race crash in the 500cc race and the general tyre challenges as the track dried.

These results added memorable moments to a dramatic weekend at Donington, with Rossi’s milestone win standing out as a turning point in his career.