Roberto Rolfo


Roberto 'Roby' Rolfo is a professional motorcycle road racer. He had his best season in 2003, when he finished in second place in the 250cc World Championship. Rolfo competed in the MotoGP class for one year before he switched to the Superbike World Championship, where he remained up to the start of.

Career

Rolfo was born in Turin, Italy.

250cc World Championship

Rolfo began competing in the Grand Prix series with a few wildcard entries in 1996. After finishing in third place in the European championship in 1997, Rolfo competed in his first full World Championship season in 1998. In his first season his best result was fifth place in Argentina, and in 1999 it was again a fifth, at Catalunya. In 2000 he finished no higher than sixth.
2001 proved to be a breakthrough year. Riding for the Safilo Aprilia team, he finished fourth in the championship, ahead of the factory Aprilias Riccardo Chiarello and Jeremy McWilliams. After scoring points in the first four races, he scored three podiums in the next four. He only failed to score points twice all season.
In 2002 he raced for the Fortuna-Honda Gresini team. He scored five second places, three of them behind countryman and champion Marco Melandri. He only failed to score points once, earning him third place overall in the world championship.
Following Fausto Gresini's decision to concentrate in MotoGP class in 2003, Rolfo switched to a team run by Daniel Amatrian, albeit main sponsor Fortuna remains. He went better both in terms of race results and championship finish. He was victorious at Sachsenring and Phillip Island en route to finishing the season in second overall. He went into the final race knowing that victory would give him the title unless Manuel Poggiali finished second, but he was down in seventh. He did beat the series' winningest rider that year, Toni Elías, into third overall however.
2004 was not a success by these standards. Rolfo won in Spain, but was not on the podium again, finishing only eighth overall.

MotoGP

After making no advance in 2004, Rolfo moved up to MotoGP for 2005, with the D'Antin Ducati team. Running year-old machinery, on Dunlop tyres which were perceived to be inferior and which the bike was not designed around, and with no teammate, decent results were always going to be hard to come by. He scored points in nine races, with a best of tenth, to finish 18th overall in the championship.

Superbike World Championship

With no ride available in MotoGP, Roberto switched to the Superbike World Championship for. He raced for Caracchi Ducati team on a privateer bike. He started strongly, with a fifth place and two seventh places in the first four races, but only managed two top ten finishes in the following five rounds, and ultimately finished 16th overall.
For he joined the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team, alongside champion James Toseland. Rolfo managed a career-best fourth place at Monza and Silverstone and finished 8th overall, but was overshadowed by his teammate's championship win.
He was not retained by Ten Kate Honda for and signed for Althea Honda, taking Hannspree sponsorship with him. He missed the Monza round due to injury. Axed for 2009, he scored a second-row grid position at contract time at Magny-Cours. He was also quick in the rain at Donington before a rash attempt at overtaking Leon Haslam eliminated him and took Haslam out of contention.
For 2009, he joined the new-to-WSBK Stiggy Racing Honda team, alongside Haslam, but lost the seat following the Qatar round of the season to John Hopkins.

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

By class

Races by year

YearClassBike123456789101112131415161718Pts
1996250ccApriliaMALINAJPNSPAITA
27		FRANEDGERGBRAUTCZEIMO
22		CATBRAAUSNC0
1998250ccTSR-HondaJPN
Ret		MAL
12		SPA
13		ITA
Ret		FRA
14		MAD
10		NED
10		GBR
12		GER
11		CZE
15		IMO
8		CAT
8		AUS
13		ARG
5		12th61
1999250ccApriliaMAL
10		JPN
12		SPA
9		FRA
Ret		ITA
Ret		CAT
5		NED
Ret		GBRGER
12		CZE
11		IMO
10		VAL
13		AUS
DNS		RSABRA
9		ARG
7		14th62
2000250ccTSR-HondaRSA
15		MAL
14		JPN
Ret		SPA
19		FRAITA16th26
2000250ccApriliaCAT
Ret		NED
9		GBR
Ret		GER
6		CZEPORVALBRAPAC
Ret		AUS
10		16th26
2001250ccApriliaJPN
5		RSA
8		SPA
7		FRA
9		ITA
2		CAT
3		NED
Ret		GBR
2		GER
4		CZE
5		POR
4		VAL
8		PAC
5		AUS
3		MAL
10		BRA
8		4th177
2002250ccHondaJPN
8		RSA
4		SPA
2		FRA
5		ITA
8		CAT
2		NED
3		GBR
5		GER
2		CZE
Ret		POR
4		BRA
2		PAC
6		MAL
3		AUS
4		VAL
2		3rd219
2003250ccHondaJPN
7		RSA
5		SPA
2		FRA
3		ITA
4		CAT
9		NED
6		GBR
5		GER
1		CZE
4		POR
4		BRA
2		PAC
2		MAL
4		AUS
1		VAL
7		2nd235
2004250ccHondaRSA
9		SPA
1		FRA
Ret		ITA
7		CAT
Ret		NED
9		BRA
7		GER
6		GBR
DNS		CZE
6		POR
10		JPN
7		QAT
7		MAL
Ret		AUS
10		VAL
7		8th116
2005MotoGPDucatiSPA
15		POR
13		CHN
16		FRA
15		ITA
17		CAT
14		NED
18		USA
Ret		GBR
10		GER
14		CZE
17		JPN
Ret		MAL
13		QAT
12		AUS
13		TUR
16		VAL
Ret		18th25
2010Moto2SuterQAT
5		SPA
12		FRA
10		ITA
18		GBR
24		NED
Ret		CAT
Ret		GER
3		CZE
Ret		IND
25		RSM
10		ARA
19		JPN
9		MAL
1		AUS
26		POR
Ret		VAL
25		14th75
Moto2SuterQAT
Ret		SPA
25		POR
21		FRA
15		CAT
Ret		GBR
16		NED
19		GER
20		ITA
Ret		IND
Ret		CZE
19		RSMARA30th1
MotoGPARTUSAJPN
16		MAL
DSQ		AUS
Ret		VAL
Ret		NC0
2014Moto2SuterQATAMEARGSPAFRAITACATNEDGERINDCZEGBRRSMARAJPNAUSMAL
14		VAL
20		29th2

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

Supersport World Championship

Races by year

YearBike12345678910111213Pts
MV AgustaAUS
Ret		SPA
9		NED
6		ITA
11		GBR
3		POR
Ret		ITA
14		RUS
C		GBR
6		GER
15		TUR
5		FRA
Ret		SPA
3		6th78
2014KawasakiAUS
11		SPA
12		NED
6		ITA
5		GBR
10		MAL
4		ITA
10		POR
9		SPA
7		FRA
3		QAT
6		7th97
2015HondaAUS
8		THA
6		SPA
10		NED
5		ITA
10		GBR
11		POR
8		ITA
12		MAL
6		SPA
10		FRA
11		QAT
7		7th88
2016MV AgustaAUS
9		THA
18		SPA
Ret		NED
22		ITA
14		MAL
12		GBR
14		ITA
Ret		GER
18		FRA
16		SPA
Ret		QAT
Ret		24th15
2017MV AgustaAUS
1		THA
11		SPA
6		NED
15		ITA
Ret		GBR
14		ITA
18		GERPOR12th43
2017HondaFRA
Ret		SPAQAT12th43
2019KawasakiAUS
THA
SPA
NED
ITA
SPA
ITA
23		GBR
POR
FRA
ARG
QAT
NC*0*

* Season still in progress.