| Hiroshi Aoyama | |
| Nationality: | Japanese |
| Birth Date: | 25 October 1981 |
| Birth Place: | Ichihara, Chiba, Japan |
| Motogp Active Years: | – |
| Motogp Manufacturers: | Honda, BQR, FTR |
| Motogp Championships: | 0 |
| Motogp Race Starts: | 70 |
| Motogp Race Wins: | 0 |
| Motogp Podiums: | 0 |
| Motogp Poles: | 0 |
| Motogp Fastest Laps: | 0 |
| Motogp Total Points: | 241 |
| Motogp Last Season: | 2017 |
| Motogp Last Position: | 30th (0 pts) |
| 250 Active Years: | – |
| 250 Manufacturers: | Honda, KTM |
| 250 Championships: | 1 |
| 250 Race Starts: | 104 |
| 250 Race Wins: | 9 |
| 250 Podiums: | 27 |
| 250 Poles: | 8 |
| 250 Fastest Laps: | 11 |
| 250 Total Points: | 1112 |
| 250 Last Season: | 2009 |
| 250 Last Position: | 1st (261 pts) |
| Sbk Manufacturers: | Honda |
| Sbk Championships: | 0 |
| Sbk Race Starts: | 27 |
| Sbk Race Wins: | 0 |
| Sbk Podiums: | 0 |
| Sbk Poles: | 0 |
| Sbk Fastest Laps: | 0 |
| Sbk Total Points: | 61.5 |
| Sbk Last Season: | 2012 |
| Sbk Last Position: | 18th (61.5 pts) |
| Website: | hiro-aoyama.com |
is a Japanese retired Grand Prix motorcycle road racer, and current team principal of Honda Team Asia. Aoyama is best known for winning the 2009 250cc World Championship title. He is the older brother of former 250cc and World Superbike rider, Shuhei Aoyama.
In his six seasons in the 250cc World Championship, he raced Honda and KTM machinery in an Aprilia-dominated class. He took nine victories and never finished lower than seventh overall. By winning the 2009 250cc World Championship, Aoyama become the last winner of this class before its replacement by the Moto2 class in 2010. In 2010 he moved up to the premier class with Interwetten Racing. He stopped competing in MotoGP after the 2014 season and took on the role of HRC test rider and advisor to riders in the Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup.
Born in Ichihara, Chiba, Aoyama first raced in MiniMoto at the age of 4, racing against Yuki Takahashi, who he has raced against for most of his career. In 2008 he referred to Takahashi as a "respected rival".
He rode in the All-Japan Road Racing Championship until 2003, when he won the 250cc championship with Honda. He also rode a couple of events as wildcard rider in the Grand Prix World Championships, finishing 2nd in the 2003 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
In 2004 he joined the 250cc World Championship full-time, still racing for Honda. His debut season gave him two third places and 6th place in the championship. In the following year he scored his maiden victory in his home race at Motegi and finished the championship in 4th place.
However, he was not able to stay on at Honda, so he moved to KTM for 2006 season. He brought them victories in Istanbul and Motegi, the first two for the manufacturer in the class. For the second year in row, he was 4th in overall standings.
Aoyama ended the 2007 season in sixth place in the 250 championship with victories in Germany and Malaysia. He remained with KTM for the 2008 season and finished the season in seventh place with two second-place finishes.
After KTM's withdrawal from 250cc class, Aoyama returned to Honda with Team Scot replacing his rival Yuki Takahashi who briefly moved up to MotoGP class. The 2009 season went well as he scored 4 wins, 3 second places and finished every other race in the points. At last race of the season Aoyama became the world champion.
Aoyama stepped up to MotoGP in 2010 on board the Emmi-Caffè Latte Team Honda RC212V. In initial testing the team (which is itself new to MotoGP) opted not to use the electronic rider aids, despite the bikes being designed around them. The team's technical director Tom Jojic explained that he wanted Aoyama to experience the bike's true nature, and believes that he is good enough to be competitive on it.[1] His season was wrecked by a fractured vertebra sustained in a practice crash at Silverstone, eliminating him for much of the season.[2]
Aoyama was a consistent race finisher in 2011, mainly finishing in the bottom end of the top ten, but finished fourth in the Spanish Grand Prix. Aoyama also replaced Dani Pedrosa on the factory-spec Repsol Honda bike for the Dutch TT in Assen, after Pedrosa's injury at the French Grand Prix. Aoyama moved to World Superbikes for the season, joining Jonathan Rea at Castrol Honda.
| Class | Seasons | 1st GP | 1st Pod | 1st Win | Race | Win | Podiums | Pole | FLap | Pts | WChmp | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 250cc | 2000–2009 | 2000 Pacific | 2003 Japan | 2005 Japan | 104 | 9 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 1112 | 1 | |
| MotoGP | 2010–2017 | 2010 Qatar | 71 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 241 | 0 | |||
| Total | 2000–2017 | 175 | 9 | 27 | 8 | 11 | 1353 | 1 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Season | Motorcycle | Team | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts | Plcd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honda CBR1000RR | Honda World Superbike Team | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61.5 | 18th | ||
| Total | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 61.5 |
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)