MotoGP Feature - The Alex Barros Interview
01/09/2007
The adjective “evergreen” applies to nobody in racing more than Alex Barros. At 36, his experience spans 21 years of unbroken world championship racing.
The rider from Sao Paolo, Brazil started at 15, lying about his age to get an international licence, and has raced in three classes: MotoGP/500, 250 and the now defunct 80cc category. He has racked up 270 GP starts, seven wins (all MotoGP/500), five pole positions and 14 fastest laps.
He has ridden factory machines for Cagiva, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and now Ducati, and raced on every type of tyre, including now Bridgestone.
And he’s still planning for next year, deciding between a switch back to World Superbikes (he raced there in 2006) and staying in MotoGP. So what keeps the oldest rider in GP racing going?
“One thing that is pushing me to continue is that I never hit the championship. Maybe if I had, then I would have given up, like some other riders. But I never won, so it continues. Of course after 21 consecutive years the travel is tiring. But I still enjoy very much to race the bike, and this still pushes me.” Is he then just a big kid? He laughs. “Exactly,” he replies.
Barros’s current mount is a satellite-team d’Antin Ducati, and he put the bike on the rostrum in Italy. But ask him to compare the feel of the tyres in his first year on Bridgestones, and he scratches his head.
“It’s difficult. I had a year on the different control tyres in Superbikes in between. And the Superbike concept is completely different to the tyre brands here. They try to make the same tyres for all teams, not the best tyres for each bike.”
Bridgestone have the same philosophy in that all teams get equal treatment – but in MotoGP this means they will make tyres specifically for a bike or rider.
“They work for Honda, Ducati, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Four brands, and they all work in different ways. For example the front tyre that Honda use you can’t use on Ducati. It doesn’t work. It’s too hard. But for Honda it’s good.”
He is sure, however, that Bridgestones have a wider window of operation than the sometimes hyper-sensitive rival tyres.
“Bridgestones are less sensitive,” he said. “For example, you can say they will work well over ten degrees of track temperature change.”
Barros has seen many changes over 21 years, from 500cc two-strokes to 990cc four-strokes, and now to the new 800cc machines. The biggest change however has come in the advance of electronic engine management.
“From 2005 to now is quite different. I think also the strong point for Ducati is electronics, as well as engine power. I think they are one step in front of everybody. Their system is very complex, and very efficient.
“When you have a lot of power, electronics can help a lot. In fact, they are necessary for a MotoGP bike. Without electronics riding this bike would be complex. With the old 990, it was different, with a lot of sliding and wheelspin.
“I enjoyed riding in that way, but the most important thing is the lap time. The 800s are not so spectacular, but more efficient. This is progress.
“In F1 they will stop traction control next year. If they do this in MotoGP, it would be difficult for the young riders. Old riders with experience on 500 can have more control.
“You can see this on the computer, if you compare my riding with Casey (Stoner, just 21). Casey is really hard on the gas, while I try to use my feel more than relying on traction control. I am more sensitive. If you come from 500 you learn to be very gentle on the bike,” said Barros.
So what is Alex’s favourite machine over the years? “For the moment, this one. The Ducati is a really really good bike. It’s a very physical bike – you must use your power, and it feels a bit different from a Japanese bike. But the engine and electronics are so good, the bike is so fast. I enjoy it a lot,” he smiles.