After claiming a podium finish during his debut 2003 MotoGP season, on a Honda with Bridgestone tyres, Makoto Tamada took two wins and three pole positions during 2004 - confirming him as Japan's top rider and a potential future world champion - only for his form to plummet during 2005 and 2006, leaving him on uncompetitive machinery for 2007 and out of the grand prix paddock altogether in 2008.
Tamada began his racing career on 250cc machinery in the all-Japan Championship, where he finished fourth overall in 1998. But the thickset charger soon moved up to the Superbike class and in 1999 finished fifth overall in his first year on the bigger bikes.
In 2000 he was second overall, then again in 2001 and 2002 - when he also won three WSBK races (two in 2001, one in 2002) as a wild-card at his home Sugo round - before launching himself into the cauldron of MotoGP in 2003.
Tamada was no respecter of reputations and when he found himself dicing with reigning world champion Valentino Rossi he gave as little ground as he would have done to any rival in his domestic days. He was famously disqualified from the results at his home race at Motegi in 2003 when he made what was deemed an over-forceful move on Sete Gibernau for third place, which only endeared him to race fans the world over.
Tamada's win in Brazil in 2004 was thus universally popular and when he followed it up with a second place in Portugal and then a resounding home victory at Motegi in Japan, he had fully justified Honda's faith in him. Tamada's reward was his own one-rider Honda team for 2005 and 2006, backed by Konica Minolta and managed by his mentor Gianluca Montiron.
But Tamada had also switched to Michelin tyres in 2005 - a disastrous decision in hindsight. At the time Tamada was happy to be on an equal footing with the leading championship contenders, but Bridgestone was very much on the up - many top teams would soon move in the other direction - while the 'feel' from the Michelin tyres was completely different to what Tamada was used to.
One rostrum place at his home race at Motegi 2005 hinted that there might be life in the new liaison, but it was to prove a false dawn and Tamada didn't finish on the podium again in either 2005 or 2006. In fact, Tamada was just 11th and 12th in the championship standings during those seasons, costing him his Honda ride for 2007.
Makoto attempted to make a new start at the Dunlop backed Tech 3 Yamaha team in 2007, but he failed to outgun rookie team-mate Sylvain Guintoli, took a best finish of eighth and was left without a ride for 2008.
Tamada will now hope to reignite his race-winning form in WSBK, riding for the factory backed PSG-1 Kawasaki team alongside Regids Laconi.
Career highlights:
1994 : 250c Production Regional Championship
1995 : 11th All Japan 250cc Championship
1996 : 14th All Japan 250cc Championship
1997 : 6th All Japan 250cc Championship
1998 : 4th All Japan 250cc Championship. 10th Suzuka 8 Hours (with Shinichi Nakatomi).
1999 : 5th All Japan Superbike Championship. 8th Suzuka 8 Hours (with Daijiro Kato).
2000 : 3rd All Japan Superbike Championship. 43rd Suzuka 8 Hours (with Alex Barros).
2001 : 2nd All Japan Superbike Championship
2002 : 4th All Japan Superbike Championship. 2nd Suzuka 8 Hours (with Tadayuki Okada - his team manager)
2003 : 11th MotoGP World Championship Honda
2004 : 6th MotoGP World championship Honda - race wins 2
2005 : 11th MotoGP World Championship Honda
2006 : 12th MotoGP World Championship Honda
2007 : 18th MotoGP World Championship Yamaha
