Àlex Crivillé facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Àlex Crivillé
Crivillé in 2016
Nationality	Spanish
Born	(1970-03-04) 4 March 1970 (age 55) Barcelona, Spain
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1987–2001 First race 1987 80cc Spanish Grand Prix Last race 2001 500cc Brazilian Grand Prix First win 1989 125cc Australian Grand Prix Last win 2000 500cc French Grand Prix Team(s) Derbi, Cobas Rotax, Yamaha, Honda Championships 2 1989: 125cc 1999: 500cc Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 193 20 66 12 20 2012

Àlex Crivillé Tapias (born March 4, 1970) is a famous Spanish former motorcycle racer. He made history in 1992 by becoming the first Spanish rider to win a 500cc Grand Prix race. Later, in 1999, he became the first Spaniard to win the top-level 500cc World Championship.

Early Life and Racing Start

Àlex Crivillé was born in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. He started racing motorcycles at a young age, beginning his career in 1985. In that year, he won a national series for 75cc Honda streetbikes called the Criterium Solo Moto.

Racing in the 80cc Class

Starting International Races (1987-1988)

Crivillé began his international racing journey in the 80cc World Championship. This class no longer exists today.

• 1987: He joined the Derbi team. In his very first race in Spain, he surprised everyone by finishing second and setting the fastest lap. He ended the season in eleventh place overall.
• 1988: Crivillé continued to show his talent. He earned several third-place finishes in races like the Spanish and Expo grands prix. He also took a second-place podium in Germany. He finished the 80cc championship in an impressive second place, showing how quickly he was improving.

Racing in the 125cc Class

Moving Up and Winning (1988-1989)

Besides the 80cc class, Crivillé also raced in the 125cc class.

• 1988: He scored his first points in the 125cc class at the British Grand Prix, finishing ninth. He ended this season in thirty-first place.
• 1989: This was a big year for Crivillé! He joined the JJ Cobas team, led by famous constructor Antonio Cobas.

The JJ Cobas bike in which Crivillé won his first ever world championship in the 125cc class in 1989.

He won back-to-back races in Australia and Spain. He also won in Germany and took several second and third-place finishes. He ended the season with two more wins in Sweden and Czechoslovakia. Crivillé won the 125cc World Championship with 166 points, making it his first world title!

Racing in the 250cc Class

New Challenges (1990-1991)

In 1990, Crivillé moved up to the 250cc class, which was a bigger challenge.

• 1990: He raced for Giacomo Agostini's team. He had a tough start with some retirements but finished the season strong. He scored points in several races, including a season-best fifth place in Hungary. He finished eleventh in the championship.
• 1991: Crivillé returned to the JJ Cobas team. This year was also difficult, with many retirements from races. He managed to score some points, with his best finish being fifth place in Czechoslovakia. He finished thirteenth in the championship. He didn't get any podium finishes in his two years in the 250cc class.

Racing in the 500cc Class

Making History with Honda (1992-2001)

After struggling in the 250cc class, Crivillé moved to the powerful 500cc class in 1992. He joined the new Pons Racing team, riding a Honda.

• 1992: He quickly showed his talent, earning his first podium finish in Malaysia. Then, at the Dutch Grand Prix, Crivillé made history! He won the race, becoming the first ever Spaniard to win a 500cc Grand Prix. He finished eighth in the championship.

Crivillé at the Malaysian and Dutch Grand Prix. He took his first podium and win at both races.

• 1993: Crivillé stayed with the Honda Pons team. He earned two third-place podiums, including one at the Dutch TT, where he had won the year before. He finished eighth in the championship.

Crivillé at the opening round in Australia, where he went on to finish sixth.

• 1994: He moved to the official Factory Honda team, a big step! He was the first Spanish rider to race for this top team. He earned three third-place podiums and finished sixth in the championship.
• 1995: Crivillé continued with Factory Honda, now sponsored by Repsol. He had a strong season, taking several third-place finishes. At the Dutch TT, he got his first 500cc pole position and finished a very close second to his teammate, Mick Doohan. He ended the season with a fantastic win at his home race in Europe (Catalunya), becoming the first Catalan to win there. He finished fourth in the championship.

Crivillé at round seven in Assen, where he narrowly lost out on the victory to teammate Mick Doohan.

• 1996: Expectations were high for Crivillé. He had a dramatic race in Spain, leading for a long time but crashing on the very last corner. However, he bounced back with three second-place finishes in a row. He then won two races back-to-back in Austria and the Czech Republic. The win in the Czech Republic was incredibly close, by just 0.002 seconds! He finished an excellent second in the championship, right behind his teammate Mick Doohan.

Crivillé on the podium at the Austrian race, and battling during the Catalan Grand Prix, where he finished third.

• 1997: Many thought Crivillé could win the title this year. He started with two second-place finishes and then won in Spain. However, he had a serious crash during practice in the Netherlands, injuring his left hand. This meant he missed several races. He made a strong comeback later in the season, finishing fourth in the Czech Republic and third in his home race in Catalunya. He ended the season with another win in Australia. He finished fourth in the championship.

Crivillé on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix, alongside Repsol Honda teammates Mick Doohan (center) and Tadayuki Okada (right).

• 1998: Crivillé continued with Repsol Honda. He won his first race of the season in Spain, dedicating it to his father. He also won in France. He earned several other podium finishes, including two second places. He finished third in the championship.

Crivillé on the podium at the French Grand Prix, his second victory of the season.

• 1999: This was Àlex Crivillé's championship year! His teammate, Mick Doohan, had a career-ending crash early in the season, which opened the door for Crivillé. He took advantage of this opportunity, winning his first race of the year in Spain. He then went on a winning streak, taking four wins in a row in France, Italy, and Catalunya. He also won in Great Britain and Imola.

Crivillé riding his Repsol Honda in Catalunya, where he outfoxed teammate Tadayuki Okada for the win, and celebrating his world championship title in Rio de Janeiro with his team.

Going into the second-to-last race in Rio de Janeiro, Crivillé needed to finish tenth or higher to win the title. Despite a hand injury, he finished sixth, securing the 500cc World Championship! He became the first Spaniard to win this prestigious title. He ended the season with six wins and 267 points, finishing first in the championship.

• 2000: After his big win, Crivillé faced challenges with a new bike that wasn't as good as the previous one. He still managed to win his final career race in France, holding off tough competitors like Norifumi Abe and Valentino Rossi. He also got a second-place finish in the Netherlands. He finished ninth in the championship.
• 2001: This was Crivillé's last year with Repsol Honda. He struggled with the bike but still managed to get a podium finish in Spain, taking third place. He also had a great second-place finish in the Czech Republic, which he called "like a win" after his struggles. He finished eighth in the championship.

Retirement from Racing

Crivillé being interviewed by the Spanish journalist Olga Viza during the celebration of 20 years of partnership between Repsol and the Factory Honda team in 2014.

In November 2001, Crivillé announced he was leaving the Repsol Honda team after ten years. He was thinking about his future, including possibly riding for another team or even retiring.

However, in early 2002, Crivillé announced that he couldn't race due to health problems. He explained that since 1999, he had experienced temporary losses of consciousness. Doctors advised him to stop racing for a while to rest and get tests.

On May 5, 2002, at the Spanish Grand Prix, Àlex Crivillé officially announced his retirement from motorcycle racing. He said it was a very emotional day but that he had decided to retire because of his health. He mentioned he wanted to stay involved in motorcycle racing in the future, just not as a rider.

After retiring, Àlex Crivillé still attends MotoGP events and special occasions with the Repsol Honda team, often alongside his former teammate Mick Doohan.

Career Statistics

Grand Prix Motorcycle Racing

Points system from 1969 to 1987:

Points system from 1988 to 1992:

Points system from 1993 onwards:

Races by Year

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

See Also

In Spanish: Àlex Crivillé para niños