| PERSONAL DETAILS | |
| NAME: | TONI ELIAS |
| TEAM: | ALICE TEAM |
| NATIONALITY: | SPANISH |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 26/03/1983 |
| MARRIED: | SINGLE |
On his day, Toni Elias is one of the fastest - and certainly one of the most exciting - MotoGP riders in the world, but he's yet to put together a full season of consistent performances and 2008 will see his third change of manufacturer in four years.
Elias is well-grounded in motorcycle racing, his grandfather was a road-racer and his dad was a ten times Spanish motocross champion as well as running a bike shop in Manresa, north-west of Barcelona. So there was some degree of inevitability about young Toni's eventual immersion in motorcycle racing.
Elias entered made his full time 125cc World Championship debut in 2000 with Honda, won two races during his second season, then moved swiftly into the 250cc class with Aprilia - and won a race during his debut season.
Toni's second quarter-litre season saw him win five races - more than any other rider - and he also scored five pole positions in a row at the back-end of the season. Had it not been for a last lap crash in Rio, while leading, he might well have been world champion that year, but instead he was ranked third.
Back on a Honda in 2004, he won in Portugal, but never recaptured the form he had shown the previous season. The seven rostrum finishes showed he was more than simply 'on the pace' but the frustration of seeing his fierce rival Dani Pedrosa cruise to the title weighed heavily on him.
After the relative disappointment of that 2004 season, it was easy for Yamaha to prise him away with the lure of a MotoGP ride, especially as Pedrosa was to remain in the quarter-litre class to defend his title.
Elias' aggressive style adapted quickly to the 990cc four-stroke but, in a pattern that was to be repeated in later seasons, Toni was sidelined by injury just as he was getting into his stride - although a sixth place at the penultimate round gave the MotoGP paddock a timely reminder of his talent.
Elias moved to Gresini Honda for 2006, where he was paired with Marco Melandri. Fourth in the season opener suggested it was to be Elias' breakthrough year, but he was still to climb the podium by the time he was injured at Assen just before the midpoint of the season.
Heading into the penultimate round at Portugal and Elias' MotoGP future looked in severe doubt. Toni had only broken the top ten twice since his return from injury six races ago and a new contract for 2007 looked unlikely...
...Until, that is, Elias rode the race of his life at Estoril - charging from 11th on the grid to pass Valentino Rossi for victory on the run to the chequered flag. With Honda's title hope Nicky Hayden taken out by team-mate Pedrosa early in the race, Elias had also deprived Rossi of points that would prove crucial to Hayden's eventual title success.
That ride saved Elias' career and he was duly re-signed by Gresini for 2007, but once again Toni's hopes were blighted by injury - this time a leg breaking accident, once again at Assen. Elias took one podium before the fall (elbowing an angry Rossi out of the way in the process) and then another after his comeback, during a year in which he and Melandri were the only satellite Honda riders to appear on the podium.
But this time it wasn't enough to keep his seat and Elias has been 're-homed' at the satellite d'Antin Ducati team, backed by new title sponsor Alice, for 2008. Elias and his fans will hope that the powerful Desmosedici will suit his style and that he can finally remain injury free.
Career Highlights:
1992 : 1st Manresa Pocketbike Cup
1993 : 3rd Catalan Pocketbike Championship
1994 : 2nd Catalan Pocketbike Championship
1995 : 10th Catalan Scooter Championship
1996 : 4th Catalan Scooter Championship
1997 : 1st ScooterMania Cup
1998 : 23rd 125 Spanish Championship Honda
1999 : 3rd 125 Spanish Championship Honda
2000 : 20th 125 World Championship Honda
2001 : 3rd 125 World Championship Honda - race wins 2
2002 : 4th 250 World Championship Aprilia - race wins 1
2003 : 3rd 250 World Championship Aprilia - race wins 5
2004 : 4th 250cc World Championship Honda - race wins 1
2005 : 12th MotoGP World Championship Yamaha.
2006 : 9th MotoGP World Championship Honda - race wins 1.
2007: 12th MotoGP World Championship Honda.
| END OF 2007. | |
| STARTS: | N/A |
| WINS: | 10 (1 - MOTOGP, 7 - 250CC, 2 - 125CC) |
| POLES: | 9 (5 - 250CC, 4 - 125CC) |
| FASTEST LAPS: | 10 (3 - MOTOGP, 6 - 250CC, 1 - 125CC) |
| POINTS: | N/A |
| DEBUT: | MOTOGP DEBUT IN 2005. |
| DRIVEN FOR: | ALICE TEAM (2008) / GRESINI HONDA (2007) / FORTUNA HONDA (2006) / FORTUNA YAMAHA (2005) |