Alex Barros

Infobox Former Grand Prix motorcycle rider


Caption = Alex Barros aboard the Honda RC211V in Jerez 2004
Name = Alexandre Barros
Nationality = flagicon|Brazil Brazilian
Years = 1986 - 2005, 2007
Teams = Autisa, Arbizu, Yamaha, Cagiva, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati
Races = 276
Championships = 0
Wins = 7
Podiums = 32
Points = 2123
Poles = 5
Fastest laps = 14
First race = 1986 80cc Spanish Grand Prix
First win = 1993 500cc FIM Grand Prix
Last win = 2005 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix
Last race = 2007 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix

Alex Barros (born Alexandre Barros on October 18, 1970 in São Paulo, Brazil) is a Brazilian motorcycle road racer. After a long career in MotoGP, for 2006 he moved to the Superbike World Championship. He returned to MotoGP for 2007, but retired by the end of the season [http://esportes.terra.com.br/interna/0,,OI2046490-EI5083,00.html] .

Career

Early years

Barros started racing at the age of 8, when he won on his début in the Brazilian minibike championship. In the next two years, he was twice Brazilian moped champion. In 1981, he was the Brazilian 50cc Champion, and in 1985 he won the title of Brazilian's 250cc category. The year of 1986 saw his international début in the 80cc category -- he lied about his age so he could race at the Spanish Grand Prix at the age of 15. He finished the championship in thirteenth place, scoring 6 points. In 1987, he also raced the 80cc championship, finishing seventeenth, scoring 8 points.

250cc

In 1988, Barros made his first race on the World Championship 250cc category, scoring no points. That same year, he was 3rd in the Latin American circuit of that same class. The next year, he finished 18th in the World Championship, scoring 30 points.

500cc and MotoGP

In 1990, Alex Barros was the youngest rider in history to join the top motorcycling category, the 500cc, at the age of 20. In his first year, he was 12th overall, with 57 points. Notable results included 8th in the United States and Germany, and 5th in the Belgium Grand Prix. Two years later, his first podium: a third place in the Netherlands.

The year of 1993 saw his breakthrough as he joined the Suzuki team. After qualifying third in the US Grand Prix, Barros had his first victory in Spain, finishing that year's world championship in sixth place. His team-mate Kevin Schwantz was that year's champion. The following year, Barros scored in all but one the races. 1996 saw his best performance yet, finishing the championship at fourth, a feat he repeated in 2000, 2001 and 2002. His win at Mugello in 2001 was the latest by a rider other than Valentino Rossi (as of 2008). In 2002, the first of MotoGP (with engine displacement capacity increased to up to 990cc) he scored 206 points, eleven points behind second place. 2003 was a difficult one for Barros due to injuries, but in 2004, he once again finished the championship in fourth, in a season dominated by Valentino Rossi, Sete Gibernau and Max Biaggi. In 2005, Barros returned to the top of the podium, at the Portuguese Grand Prix, however he did not mount a lasting championship challenge, and was not offered a ride for 2006. He returned to MotoGP in 2007, riding a Ducati GP7 for Pramac d'Antin. In pre-season testing he matched the factory Ducatis, and midseason he lies ahead of the factory rider Loris Capirossi. He came third at Mugello (ahead of Stoner) and fourth at Istanbul Park.

uperbike World Championship

For SBK|2006 he was hired by the Klaffi Honda team in the Superbike World Championship, paying around £100,000 of his own money to fund the ride. After a satisfatctory debut weekend with 2 top 10 finishes, he took a pair of podium finishes at round 2 in Phillip Island, and a second and a fourth in round four at Monza. At Brands Hatch he failed to qualify for Superpole, but bounced back from 18th on the grid to take a pair of top 10 finishes. The wet meeting at Assen was a disappointment for Alex, especially as he is a wet-weather expert.

His season was characterised by poor starts, but despite this he ended the season as the second highest Honda rider in the championship in sixth place, behind former champion James Toseland. At Imola he took his only WSBK win, and followed it with a 2nd in race 2.

uzuka 8 Hours

In 1999, Barros and Japanese team-mate Tadayuki Okada won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurace race riding a Honda RC45 superbike.

Career statistics

By season

External links

* [http://www.alexbarros.net/ Official homepage of Barros]
* [http://www.sportnetwork.net/main/s180/st17903.php Alex Barros profile on Motorcycle Racing Online]
* [http://www.highrevs.net/motogp_rider_info/alex_barros_biography.php Alex Barros bio at highrevs.net]
* [http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Alex+Barros Alex Barros career statistics at MotoGP.com]