page_title: Mika Kallio
section_title: 125cc World Championship (2001–2006)
hierarchical_section_title: Mika Kallio / Career / 125cc World Championship (2001–2006)
caption_attribution_description: English: Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer Mika Kallio's KTM 125 -motorcycle at the MP2006-fair in Helsinki. Photo by Thermos.
context_page_description: Mika Kallio is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team Ajo Motorsport in 2001 and was awarded the "Rookie of the Year" in 2002. After moving to Red Bull KTM during the 2003 season, he finished runner-up in the class in 2005 and 2006.
  In his first year with KTM in the 250cc class, Kallio took two wins and finished seventh. In 2008, he led the championship throughout the first half of the season, eventually having to settle for third place. For the 2009 season, he moved to the MotoGP class, racing on a Ducati Desmosedici GP9 for Ducati's satellite team Pramac Racing where he finished 15th in his first season in the top class and obtained the "Rookie of the Year" award. However 2010 was less successful, struggling with injury and lack of confidence, resulting in a lowly 17th.
  Kallio looked to rediscover his form, competing in the Moto2 World Championship for the Marc VDS Racing Team over the next four seasons, riding a Suter in 2011, but would end the first season in 16th. A switch to the Kalex frame from 2012 led to marked improvement in results over the next few seasons.
context_section_description: Kallio made his debut in the 125cc World Championship as a wildcard rider at the 2001 German Grand Prix. Continuing with Ajo Motorsport and the Honda RS125R for a full season in 2002, he finished as the Rookie of the Year. Halfway through the 2003 season, Kallio switched to Red Bull KTM, KTM's factory team. He immediately took his career-best fourth place in Czech Republic. The highlight of 2003 was his first-ever class podium, a second place at Sepang behind Dani Pedrosa.
  After a 2004 season filled with bike reliability issues, Kallio took his first championship pole position and victory at the second round of the 2005 season at Estoril. He went on to take seven more poles and three more wins and lost the world title by just five points to Thomas Lüthi. He lost five points at the fourth-last Grand Prix in Qatar when his KTM teammate, Gábor Talmácsi, pulled out from behind the slipstream and passed him on the last few metres of the race to take the win by 0.017 seconds. Kallio had started from pole position and led every lap of the race and was not pushing on the home straight anymore, as Talmácsi had been ordered to stay back by the team because he was not a title contender. Talmácsi was fired after the season finale at Valencia.
  In 2006, Kallio was again a challenger for the 125 cc title. Although he produced his best season to date, the young Finn was outshone by Spain's Álvaro Bautista and while he tried to hang onto the Spaniard, he was forced to settle for the runner-up spot once again, although he did finish a full 65 points ahead of the third position. Kallio scored three victories, four pole positions and 11 podiums during the 2006 campaign.  At the end of the year, viewers of the Finnish motorsport television series Ruutulippu voted Kallio the Finnish Motorsportsman of the Year for the second year running. He collected 33.1% of all votes and pipped enduro world champion Samuli Aro, WRC runner-up Marcus Grönholm and F1 star Kimi Räikkönen.
caption: Kallio's 125cc KTM bike.
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