Alex Barros

Alexandre Barros

Alex Barros aboard the Honda RC211V in Jerez 2004
Nationality Brazilian
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1986 - 2005, 2007
First race1986 80cc Spanish Grand Prix
Last race2007 MotoGP Valencian Grand Prix
First win1993 500cc FIM Grand Prix
Last win2005 MotoGP Portuguese Grand Prix
Team(s)Autisa, Arbizu, Yamaha, Cagiva, Suzuki, Honda, Ducati
Championships0
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
276 7 32 5 14 2123
Alex Barros in Motegi 2004

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 .

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 sixteenth 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 until 2009. In 2002, the first of MotoGP (with engine displacement capacity increased to up to 990cc) he scored 204 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 at midseason he was ahead of the factory rider Loris Capirossi. He came third at Mugello (ahead of Stoner) and fourth at Istanbul Park.

Superbike World Championship

For 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.[1] 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.

Suzuka 8 Hours

In 1999, Barros and Japanese teammate Tadayuki Okada won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race riding a Honda RC45 superbike.[2]

Career statistics

By class

Class Seas 1st GP 1st Pod 1st Win Race Win Podiums Pole FLap Pts WChmp
80 cc 1986–1987 1986 Spain N/A N/A 17 0 0 0 0 14 0
250 cc 1988–1989 1988 Brazil N/A N/A 14 0 0 0 0 30 0
500 cc 1990–2001 1990 Japan 1992 Dutch 1993 FIM 163 4 18 3 8 1347 0
MotoGP 2002–2005, 2007 2002 Japan 2002 Dutch 2002 Pacific 82 3 14 2 6 732 0
Total 1986-2005, 2007 276 7 32 5 14 2123 0

Complete Grand Prix motorcycle racing results [3]

Points system from 1969 to 1987:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1988 to 1992:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1993 onwards:

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 25 20 16 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Yr Class Team Machine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Pts Rank Wins
1986 80cc Rieju ESP
NC
NAT
NC
GER
11
AUT
23
YUG
NC
NED
NC
6 16th 0
Autisa GBR
8
SWE
-
RSM
8
BWU
-
1987 80cc Casal ESP
NC
GER
11
NAT
NC
AUT
8
YUG
10
NED
22
GBR
-
CZE
NC
8 17th 0
Arbizu RSM
7
POR
NC
1988 250cc Venemotos-Yamaha TZ250 JPN
-
USA
-
ESP
-
EXP
-
NAT
-
GER
-
AUT
-
NED
-
BEL
-
YUG
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
BRA
NC
0 - 0
1989 250cc Venemotos-Yamaha TZ250 JPN
NC
AUS
10
USA
16
ESP
-
NAT
15
GER
-
AUT
19
YUG
15
NED
NC
BEL
NC
FRA
NC
GBR
13
SWE
9
CZE
10
BRA
10
30 18th 0
1990 500cc Cagiva GP500 JPN
NC
USA
8
ESP
NC
NAT
NC
GER
8
AUT
11
YUG
NC
NED
10
BEL
5
FRA
NC
GBR
11
SWE
9
CZE
NC
HUN
9
AUS
-
57 12th 0
1991 500cc Cagiva GP500 JPN
10
AUS
8
USA
6
ESP
-
ITA
4
GER
-
AUT
-
EUR
-
NED
7
FRA
-
GBR
-
RSM
-
CZE
-
VDM
-
MAL
-
46 13th 0
1992 500cc Marlboro-Cagiva GP500 JPN
11
AUS
12
MAL
NC
ESP
12
ITA
5
EUR
11
GER
7
NED
3
HUN
9
FRA
-
GBR
-
BRA
8
RSA
NC
29 13th 0
1993 500cc Lucky Strike Suzuki RGV500 AUS
5
MAL
7
JPN
6
ESP
NC
AUT
4
GER
NC
NED
NC
EUR
5
RSM
7
GBR
NC
CZE
10
ITA
5
USA
2
FIM
1
125 6th 1
1994 500cc Lucky Strike Suzuki RGV500 AUS
8
MAL
7
JPN
5
ESP
4
AUT
7
GER
5
NED
2
ITA
7
FRA
6
GBR
NC
CZE
8
USA
8
ARG
8
EUR
6
134 8th 0
1995 500cc Kanemoto-Honda NSR500 AUS
6
MAL
6
JPN
NC
ESP
5
GER
7
ITA
7
NED
5
FRA
5
GBR
NC
CZE
9
BRA
8
ARG
8
EUR
6
104 7th 0
1996 500cc Pileri-Honda NSR500 MAL
2
INA
2
JPN
NC
ESP
8
ITA
6
FRA
7
NED
3
GER
8
GBR
7
AUT
5
CZE
9
IMO
8
CAT
8
BRA
5
AUS
4
158 4th 0
1997 500cc Gresini-Honda NSR500V MAL
11
JPN
10
ESP
8
ITA
6
AUT
13
FRA
6
NED
6
IMO
9
GER
6
BRA
NC
GBR
3
CZE
8
CAT
NC
INA
NC
AUS
8
101 9th 0
1998 500cc Gresini-Honda NSR500 JPN
7
MAL
NC
ESP
5
ITA
9
FRA
NC
MAD
9
NED
4
GBR
5
GER
4
CZE
3
IMO
4
CAT
7
AUS
4
ARG
3
138 5th 0
1999 500cc MoviStar-Pons Honda NSR500 MAL
6
JPN
8
ESP
NC
FRA
10
ITA
NC
CAT
NC
NED
10
GBR
5
GER
8
CZE
7
IMO
2
VAL
10
AUS
NC
RSA
11
BRA
4
ARG
8
110 9th 0
2000 500cc Emerson Honda Pons NSR500 RSA
4
MAL
8
JPN
7
ESP
5
FRA
5
ITA
NC
CAT
NC
NED
1
GBR
14
GER
1
CZE
NC
POR
10
VAL
5
BRA
2
PAC
7
AUS
4
163 4th 2
2001 500cc West Honda Pons NSR500 JPN
6
RSA
9
ESP
6
FRA
8
ITA
1
CAT
NC
NED
4
GBR
3
GER
5
CZE
9
POR
NC
VAL
2
PAC
2
AUS
4
MAL
7
BRA
4
182 4th 1
2002 MotoGP West Honda Pons NSR500 JPN
6
RSA
NC
ESP
5
FRA
8
ITA
5
CAT
5
NED
2
GBR
3
GER
NC
CZE
9
POR
5
BRA
4
204 4th 2
RC211V PAC
1
MAL
3
AUS
2
VAL
1
2003 MotoGP Gauloises Yamaha Tech3 YZR-M1 JPN
8
RSA
5
ESP
5
FRA
3
ITA
NC
CAT
8
NED
8
GBR
INJ
GER
NC
CZE
7
POR
11
BRA
12
PAC
6
MAL
15
AUS
NC
VAL
6
101 9th 0
2004 MotoGP Repsol Honda RC211V RSA
4
ESP
3
FRA
7
ITA
6
CAT
NC
NED
NC
BRA
5
GER
2
GBR
9
CZE
NC
POR
3
JPN
4
QAT
4
MAL
3
AUS
5
VAL
6
165 4th 0
2005 MotoGP Camel-Pons Honda RC211V ESP
4
POR
1
CHN
11
FRA
NC
ITA
7
CAT
4
NED
7
USA
NC
GBR
3
GER
5
CZE
4
JPN
NC
MAL
8
QAT
9
AUS
NC
TUR
9
VAL
5
147 8th 1
2007 MotoGP Pramac d'Antin Ducati GP7 QAT
9
ESP
11
TUR
4
CHN
14
FRA
NC
ITA
3
CAT
8
GBR
7
NED
7
GER
NC
USA
9
CZE
9
RSM
NC
POR
NC
JPN
8
AUS
5
MAL
12
VAL
7
115 10th 0

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alex Barros.
Preceded by
Tohru Ukawa
Shinichi Itoh
Suzuka 8 Hours Winner
1999 (with Tadayuki Okada)
Succeeded by
Tohru Ukawa
Daijiro Kato