Kawasaki Racing Team pilots

OLIVIER JACQUE

Olivier Jacque will make a welcome return to full time racing as part of Kawasaki's new look MotoGP squad in 2007. The versatile Frenchman is one of the most experienced riders in motorcycling and can count the 250cc world championship in 2000 as the highlight of an outstanding career.

Now 33, Jacque began racing at 17 and has been on two wheels ever since, progressing through the French national 125cc series, the 250cc European championship and then to the 250cc world championship with the Tech3 Yamaha Team. After winning the world title Jacque moved up to the premier 500cc class and then into the four-stroke MotoGP championship, his success rate only hampered by a series of injuries.

Jacque came to the attention of the Kawasaki Racing Team as a wild card rider and his value as a test and development rider was quickly recognised, a role that has led to the rebirth of his race career in the factory team. As a wild card in the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix, Jacque scored Kawasaki's best MotoGP result with a superb second place. This is just one of the 35 podiums, 17 pole positions and seven victories (in 250cc) that Jacque has scored in all classes of GP racing.