Hiroshi Aoyama's full-time Grand Prix career began in 2004 after a series of wildcard entries in the 250 class between 2000 and 2003. Campaigning with Honda and KTM between 2004-08, he took eight victories and never finished lower than seventh overall, winning the 2009 250 World Championship - thus becoming the last ever winner of the class before its replacement by Moto2™. In 2010 Aoyama was the lone Japanese rider competing in MotoGP™, though his rookie year was abruptly interrupted by an injury from a crash at Silverstone that caused him to miss six races, finishing the year with a best result of seventh in Malaysia. The Japanese rider joined the San Carlo Honda Gresini team for 2011, claiming a best finish of fourth at the Spanish GP. Following a difficult year in the SBK Championship with the Ten Kate Honda team, Aoyama returned to MotoGP™ aboard the CRT bike of Avintia Racing; 2013 would be disrupted, however, by a hand-injuring crash in Barcelona. For 2014, he made the switch to Power Electronics Aspar where, alongside 2006 MotoGP™ World Champion Nicky Hayden, he rode the Honda RCV1000R machine. In 2015, Aoyama left competition and was a test rider for HRC, before being called up to sub for injured Dani Pedrosa in some early races in the season as Pedrosa underwent career-saving surgery. The Japanese rider continues in his role as test rider, as well as working alongside Alberto Puig in the Asia Talent Cup, and returns to replace Pedrosa once again this year.