Katja Poensgen
NationalityGerman
Born (1976-09-23) 23 September 1976
Mindelheim, West Germany
Bike number65
Motorcycle racing career statistics
250cc World Championship
Active years2001 and 2003
ManufacturersAprilia, Honda
2003 championship positionNC (0 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
24 0 0 0 0 2
Supersport World Championship
Active years1998
ManufacturersSuzuki
1998 championship positionNC (0 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
1 0 0 0 0 0

Katja Poensgen (born 23 September 1976), is a German former professional motorcycle racer.[1][2] She was the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race.[3] In 2011, Poensgen was inducted into the FIM Hall of Fame for her pioneering Grand Prix racing career.[4]

Motorcycle racing career

Poensgen was born in Mindelheim, Germany as the daughter of the German importer for Suzuki motorcycles.[5][6] She began riding motorcycles at the age of four.[7] She started her motorcycle racing career in 1993 competing in the ADAC Junior Cup. In 1995 Poensgen rode a Suzuki RGV250 to become the first female to win the Junior Cup in Germany.[5][6] That same year, she won the European Supermono championship riding a Suzuki DR650.[5] In 1996 she competed in the German 125cc Championship.[6] The next year she moved to German Supersport Championship.

In 1998 Poensgen made her world championship debut when she took part in the German round of the Supersport World Championship at the Nürburgring circuit. She rode a Suzuki GSX-R600 to a 20th place finish.[2] In 1999 Poensgen began competing in the European Superstock 1000 Championship with a Suzuki GSX 750 R. In 2000 she rode for the Alstare Corona Suzuki Team in the same championship, finishing the season ranked sixth.[2] She also set the fastest lap time twice and scored a second place result at the Misano Adriatico race circuit.[2][8]

In 2001 Poensgen moved to the 250cc class in Grand Prix motorcycle racing.[1] She became the third female competitor in Grand Prix motorcycle racing history after Taru Rinne and Tomoko Igata.[6] She began the season riding an Aprilia RSV 250 but, changed motorcycles mid-season to a Hardwick Racing Honda RS250R.[9] On April 8, 2001, Poensgen became the first female competitor to qualify for a 250cc Grand Prix race at the 2001 Japanese Grand Prix.[3] In 2002 she competed in German Superstock 1000. In 2003 she came back to Grand Prix motorcycle racing, without scoring points.[1]

In 2004, she worked as a commentator on German television.[10]

Career statistics

Supersport World Championship

Races by year

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Pos. Pts
1998 Suzuki GBR ITA SPA GER
20		 ITA ZAF USA GBR AUT NED 0

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

By season

Season Class Motorcycle Team Race Win Pod Pole FLap Pts Pos
2001 250cc Aprilia Dark Dog Racing Factory 14 0 0 0 0 2 30th
Honda Shell Advance Honda
2003 250cc Honda Dark Dog Molenaar 10 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Total 24 0 0 0 0 2

Races by year

(key)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos. Pts
2001 250cc Aprilia JPN
22		 RSA
24		 SPA
23		 FRA
DNS		 ITA
14		 CAT
26		 NED
Ret		 GBR
23		 GER
20		 CZE 30th 2
Honda POR
20		 VAL
24		 PAC
26		 AUS
19		 MAL
Ret		 BRA
26
2003 250cc Honda JPN
20		 RSA
Ret		 SPA
DNQ		 FRA
DNQ		 ITA
DNQ		 CAT
17		 NED
18		 GBR
19		 GER
18		 CZE
20		 POR
Ret		 BRA
DNS		 PAC MAL
17		 AUS
Ret		 VAL NC 0

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Katja Poensgen MotoGP statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Katja Poensgen World Superbike statistics". worldsbk.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Katja Poensgen makes history". crash.net. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  4. ↑ "FIM Legends". fim-live.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 A Girl in the GPs, Cycle World Magazine, September 2001, Vol. 40, No. 1-7, ISSN 0011-4286
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Female GP rider pussyfoots through 250 GP". iol.co.za. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  7. ↑ Catron, Derek. "She Races with the Big Boys". orlandosentinel.com. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  8. ↑ "FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup at Misano Adriatico" (PDF). Worldsbk.com. Dorna. 18 June 2000. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Katja Poensgen officially presented by Shell Advance Honda". motogp.com. Dorna. 3 September 2001. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
  10. ↑ Santos, Jesús Sánchez (15 September 2020). "Katja Poensgen and women's motorcycling". MOTOSAN. Retrieved 5 February 2021.
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