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Toni Elías
Elías at the2010 Australian Grand Prix
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1983-03-26)26 March 1983 (age 42) Manresa, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics MotoGP World Championship Active years 2005–2009,2011–2012,2015 Manufacturers Yamaha,Honda,Ducati,YamahaForward Championships 0 2015 championship position 27th (2 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 105 1 6 0 3 574 Moto2 World Championship Active years 2010,2012–2013 Manufacturers Moriwaki,Suter,Kalex Championships 1 (2010) 2013 championship position 18th (22 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 41 7 8 3 2 343 250cc World Championship Active years 2002–2004 Manufacturers Aprilia,Honda Championships 0 2004 championship position 4th (199 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 48 7 20 5 6 603 125cc World Championship Active years 1999–2001 Manufacturers Honda Championships 0 2001 championship position 3rd (217 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 35 2 9 4 1 243 Superbike World Championship Active years 2013–2014 Manufacturers Aprilia Championships 0 2014 championship position 9th (171 pts) Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 32 0 0 0 0 241

Antonio Elías Justícia (born 26 March 1983) is a Spanish former professional motorcycle racer and inaugural champion of the2010 Moto2 World Championship. He is the third member of the Elías family to compete inmotorcycle racing. He last rode in theMotoAmerica AMA Superbike Championship, where, in June, he abruptly announced his retirement mid-way through the 2023 race-season.^[1]

Elías finished 3rd in the 2016 season, with six wins out of 18 and 304 points, seven less than then-champion Cameron Beaubier.^[2] He won the championship in the 2017 season. In 2018 he finished as runner-up behind champion Cameron Beaubier and in 2019 he finished as runner-up, five points behind championship winner, once again Beaubier.

Born inManresa,Catalonia, Spain^[3] Elías started racing in the 125cc World Championship in 2000 at the age of 17, finishing 3rd in 2001 and taking his first win in theDutch TT at the prestigiousAssen circuit. He went to 250cc for 2002, finishing 4th that year, 3rd a year later, and 4th in 2004.

In 2005, Elías enteredMotoGP forFortunaYamaha. In 2006 and 2007, his Fortuna backing got him a ride for GresiniHonda alongside 2005 runner-upMarco Melandri. He only took one podium in 2006, albeit his first, and so far only, win in the top category. After a podium in the first half of 2007, he crashed atAssen, breaking his leg, sabotaging his season. He managed to make a return to the podium at Motegi.

After spending the 2008 season with the AliceDucati team, Elías returned to Gresini Honda for 2009, replacingShinya Nakano to ride alongsideAlex de Angelis.^[4]

For 2010,Elías moved down to the new Moto2 class, on a Moriwaki bike for Gresini. He was competitive in pre-season testing before a heavy crash threatened to derail his status as title favourite.^[5] He was victorious atLe Mans after a chaotic race also led byAlex Debón andJules Cluzel.^[6] He claimed the lead in the championship following this win, and would not relinquish it for the remainder of the season, clinching the inaugural Moto2 World Championship at the Malaysian Grand Prix with three rounds to spare.^[7]

Elías returned to the MotoGP grid in 2011 withTeam LCR, riding aHonda RC212V.^[8] 2011 heralded his worst season in the MotoGP class, scoring only 61 points and finishing 15th in the Championship. He left Team LCR and returned to Moto2 in2012 with theAspar Team, a team he rode for in the 250cc class. After Mugello race team and rider ended their relationship.

On 24 July 2012,Pramac Ducati announced that Elías would replace the injured Hector Barbera until he was deemed fit to race. He raced a Satellite version of the GP12. At Laguna Seca he qualified 17th and retired during the race. He was scheduled to ride at Indianapolis but Barbera decided he wanted to return early, however Barbera suffered a high-side in Practice and injured his leg once more. Elias substituted for him until San Marino.

Elías won his first premier class race on 15 October 2006 with a fantastic final lap of the Portuguese MotoGP atEstoril. Elías had started the lap in third place, but an aggressive braking move into Curva 1, moved him pastValentino Rossi and the then-leaderKenny Roberts, Jr. into the lead. He actually clipped Roberts while braking, and this loss of momentum meant that Rossi passed Roberts for second position. These positions held until the chicane (turns 9 and 10) near the end of the lap. It looked like Elías had left the door wide open for Rossi and the reigning world champion dived to the inside to pass the Spaniard.

However, Elías would keep pressuring Rossi, trying to pass him on the run towards turns 11 and 12. Rossi had the line and kept the position, and it seemed as if Rossi would be 13 points clear of title rivalNicky Hayden going to the final round inValencia. But Elías kept the speed up through the thirteenth and final turn, and tucked in behind Rossi, to draft him alongside the Italian. In a finish that needed a video replay, Elías was given the race by just 0.002 seconds. It was one of the closest finishes in the history of MotoGP, and a great way for Elías to secure his maiden premier class victory. This victory helped secure him a contract extension, which was doubtful prior to the win at Estoril, with Honda and Fausto Gresini for the 2007 Moto GP season. Elías was the last non-factory rider to win a race untilJack Miller won for theMarc VDS Racing Team at the2016 Dutch TT.

As it turned out, Elías' victory cost Rossi five points, which was the exact number of points that Rossi would finish behind Hayden in the Championship standings.

In 2016, Elías entered the MotoAmerica Superbike category racing for Yoshimura Suzuki Factory Racing team using the number 24, alongside teammate Roger Hayden. Elias took first place in the first three races of the season after being called in for substitute duty.^[9]

Elías won the Superbike championship in 2017 on 10 victories and 18 podium finishes, never finishing lower than second place for any race where he took the checkered flag.

Elías announced his retirement from MotoAmerica Superbike racing at the end of the 2020 season after 32 career wins and 60 career podium finishes for Suzuki.

All statistics according to MotoGP.com^[10]

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)

(key) (Races inbold indicate pole position, races initalics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Co-riders	Bike	Pos
2015	TOHO Racing with MORIWAKI	Tatsuya Yamaguchi Ratthapark Wilairot	Honda CBR1000RR	14th

Source:^[11]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toToni Elías.

• Official website
• Toni Elías at eWRC-results.com
• Toni Elías at MotoGP.com
• Toni Elías at WorldSBK.com
• Toni Elías atAS.com (in Spanish)

• 1983 births
• Living people
• Sportspeople from Manresa
• Motorcycle racers from the Province of Barcelona
• Spanish motorcycle racers
• 250cc World Championship riders
• 125cc World Championship riders
• Tech3 MotoGP riders
• Moto2 World Championship riders
• AMA Superbike Championship riders
• Pramac Racing MotoGP riders
• Gresini Racing MotoGP riders
• LCR Team MotoGP riders
• MotoGP World Championship riders
• Superbike World Championship riders
• Moto2 World Riders' Champions

• CS1 Spanish-language sources (es)
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• BLP articles lacking sources from October 2025
• All BLP articles lacking sources
• Commons category link from Wikidata
• Articles using sports links with data from Wikidata