Haruchika Aoki is the youngest son of a family fanatical about motorcycles. As his elder brother Nobu returns to the elite category of racing, the amiable Haru has dropped down a class. Having progressed from 125cc through the 250 series to contest his first season in 500 in 1999, he enjoyed a brief spell in World Superbikes before returning to 500cc racing in 2001. His CV boasts consecutive 125 World Titles in 1995 and 1996, 6 pole positions, 20 podium finishes and an impressive total of 9 GP wins. He has remained with the Arie Molenaar squad with which he impressed many last year on the Honda V2, especially in damp conditions, and will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with in the quarter-litre category.