The End of the 250cc Grand Prix

5 months, and 4 days ago 250GP history was made in Valencia, Spain, when the world 250 Grand Prix championship ended after 60 years and 716 races.

Spaniard Hector Barbera won the 27-lap race, after Italian title contender Marco Simoncelli crashed his Gilera out of the lead, and any possible chance of taking the last-ever 250cc world championship title. That historic accolade went to Japan's Hiroshi Aoyama riding a Honda, our own Thai Honda rider, Ratthapark Wilairot, managed to finish 8th.

The first 250cc race to be given world championship Grand Prix status was the seven-lap Lightweight event at the 1949 Isle of Man TT. Ireland's Manliff Barrington took the win on his Moto Guzzi single. The Italian factory won that year's title with countryman Bruno Ruffo at the controls. 37 other riders, have claimed the title at least once since then.

The 250cc class has been a pure two-stroke affair since 1970, the last four-stroke to win the title was a Beneli four, ridden by Australian Kel Carruthers in 1969, but from this year the championship will be known as Moto2 and fought out on Honda CBR600 powered semi-prototypes.

And the greatest 250cc GP machine ever? Undoubtedly that honor belongs to Honda's six-cylinder RC166, this was a four-stroke, but Yamaha's V4 two-stroke RD05A runs it very close. We will miss them. We also want to wish Ratthapark Wilairot all the success in the new Moto2 class.