Alex Barros facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Alex Barros |
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Barros aboard the Honda RC211V in Jerez 2004
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| Born | October 18, 1970 São Paulo, Brazil |
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Alexandre Barros (born October 18, 1970) is a famous Brazilian former professional motorcycle road racer. He won 7 races in the top 500cc/MotoGP class. Alex Barros also achieved a victory in the Superbike World Championship. After a long career in Grand Prix events, he moved to the Superbike World Championship in 2006. He returned to MotoGP for one more year in 2007 before retiring from that series.
Alex Barros's Racing Journey
Starting Young: Early Career Highlights
Alex Barros began racing motorcycles when he was just 8 years old. He won his very first race in the Brazilian minibike championship. In the next two years, he became the Brazilian moped champion twice. By 1981, he was the Brazilian 50cc Champion. In 1985, he won the Brazilian 250cc title.
His international racing journey started in 1986 in the 80cc category. He was only 15 when he raced at the Spanish Grand Prix. He finished that championship in sixteenth place. In 1987, he continued in the 80cc championship, finishing seventeenth.
Moving Up: 250cc World Championship
In 1988, Barros competed in his first race in the World Championship 250cc category. He didn't score points that year. However, he placed 3rd in the Latin American circuit for the same class. The following year, he finished 18th in the World Championship, earning 30 points.
Reaching the Top: 500cc and MotoGP World Championship
In 1990, Alex Barros became the youngest rider ever to join the top motorcycling class, the 500cc category. He was only 20 years old. In his first year, he finished 12th overall. He had strong finishes, including 5th place in the Belgium Grand Prix. Two years later, he achieved his first podium finish, taking third place in the Netherlands.
His big breakthrough came in 1993 when he joined the Suzuki team. After starting third in the US Grand Prix, Barros earned his first victory in Spain. He finished that year's world championship in sixth place. His teammate Kevin Schwantz was the champion that year.
In 1996, Barros had one of his best performances, finishing the championship in fourth place. He repeated this achievement in 2000, 2001, and 2002. His win at Mugello in 2001 was a notable moment.
The year 2002 marked the start of MotoGP, where engine sizes increased. Barros scored 204 points and won races at Motegi and Valencia. He finished just eleven points behind second place overall. The year 2003 was tough for Barros due to injuries. However, in 2004, he again finished the championship in fourth place. This season was mostly dominated by other top riders like Valentino Rossi. In 2005, Barros returned to the top of the podium in Portugal. He rode a Ducati GP7 for Pramac d'Antin in 2007. He finished third at Mugello and fourth at Istanbul Park.
New Challenges: Superbike World Championship
In 2006, Alex Barros joined the Klaffi Honda team in the Superbike World Championship (WSBK). He started well with two top 10 finishes in his first weekend. He then earned two podium finishes at Round 2 in Phillip Island. He also had a second and a fourth place finish at Monza.
Despite some challenges, he ended the 2006 season as the second-highest Honda rider. He finished sixth overall in the championship. At Imola, he achieved his only WSBK win, followed by a second place in the next race.
Racing at Home: Brazilian Superbike
After retiring from MotoGP, Alex Barros continued to race actively. He has remained competitive and won several races in the Brazilian SuperBike Championship.
In 2016, Alex won the Brazilian SuperBike final riding a BMW S1000RR. Alex is also known as the owner of the BMW Motorrad Alex Barros Racing Team. He formed this team after his MotoGP career ended in 2007. During the final of the Brazilian Superbike series (BRSBK), he competed himself. In race 1, Alex finished second. In race 2, he won, beating the BRSBK champion by 6.8 seconds. Alex was still racing in this championship until 2019.
Endurance Racing: Suzuka 8 Hours
In 1999, Alex Barros teamed up with Japanese rider Tadayuki Okada. They won the famous Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race. They rode a Honda RC45 superbike to victory.
Alex Barros's Career Statistics
Summary by Racing Class
| Class | Season | Race | Win | Podium | Pole | FLap | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 80cc | 1986–1987 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| 250cc | 1988–1989 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 500cc | 1990–2001 | 163 | 4 | 18 | 3 | 8 | 1,347 |
| MotoGP | 2002–2005, 2007 | 82 | 3 | 14 | 2 | 6 | 732 |
| Total | 1986–2005, 2007 | 276 | 7 | 32 | 5 | 14 | 2,123 |
See also
In Spanish: Alex Barros para niños
