Barros gets RCV for Motegi GP

Alex Barros has been confirmed as the beneficiary of the sole RCV four-stroke available to the West Honda squad for the rest of the 2002 MotoGP season.

Barros said: ” I am very excited about my chance of riding the RC211V. It is clearly one of the fastest bikes around at the moment and finally I have the chance of competing on the same level as Valentino Rossi and the other four-stroke riders.

” It will not be easy to be competitive immediately because I have had no time to familiarise myself with the bike.

” The first time I get on the bike will be during practice on the Thursday of the Grand Prix. However, I have a lot of experience riding four-stroke Hondas in the Eight Hours of Suzuka races where I have always performed very well.

” For this reason I am confident that I will adapt quickly to the bike and maybe I will be in with a chance of a podium on race day. ”

The decision was made easy for team boss Sito Pons with Barros’s teammate Loris Capirossi announcing his defection to the Ducati effort last month.

Brazilian Barros will join Rossi, Daijiro Kato and Tohru Ukawa, the other members of the exclusive RCV club at the next round of the series on October 6.