Àlex Crivillé

Àlex Crivillé Tapias
Crivillé at the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix.
Nationality	Spanish
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, Hummel Motorsports, JJ Cobas, Yamaha, Honda Championships 1989 – 125cc 1999 – 500cc Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 193 20 66 12 20 2012

Àlex Crivillé Tapias (born March 4, 1970 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain) is a former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1992 he became the first Spaniard to win a 500cc Grand Prix and, in 1999 he became the first Spaniard to win the 500cc World Championship.^[1][2]

Pre 500 cc

Crivillé falsified his age in order to start racing at 14 in 1985, the minimum age for a license being 15 in Spain. In that year he won the Criterium Solo Moto, a national series for 75 cc Honda streetbikes.^[3]

Crivillé started his international career in the now-defunct 80cc World Championship on team Derbi, taking a 2nd place in his very first race in 1987.^[1] He was second overall in 1988 while also dabbling in the 125cc series, which he raced full-time in 1989.^[1][2] He won the 125cc World Championship in his first attempt riding for the JJ Cobas team, claiming 5 victories.^[1][2]

In 1990 he stepped up to the 250 cc class for Giacomo Agostini's team, before returning to the Cobas team a year later. He never won a 250cc race.^[1]

500 cc

Nonetheless, Crivillé joined the Sito Pons team in 500cc for 1992, taking 8th overall, and his first win at Assen in a race missed by Mick Doohan, Wayne Rainey and Wayne Gardner due to injuries.^[1] In 1993, he again finished 8th in the championship.^[1] 1994 was his first year as a full factory Honda rider, as Mick Doohan's team-mate on the Repsol-backed Hondas which would dominate 500cc and MotoGP racing in years to come. Crivillé was fourth in 1995 and 1997, runner-up in 1996 with 11 podium finishes, and 3rd in 1998.^[1]

Doohan's career-ending crash in 1999 opened the door for Crivillé, and he took six wins, including his 100th 500 cc start at Donington Park,^[4] clinching the world championship with one race to spare.^[1][2] However, he finished 9th in 2000 and 8th in 2001 (with a third place at Jerez).^[1] Fired by Repsol Honda, he planned to spend the 2002 MotoGP season with the d'Antin Yamaha team, but was forced to retire due to undetermined health problems, the main symptom being fainting spells that started during the 2000 pre-season,^[5] and had continued over the following 2 years.^[6]

Grand Prix career statistics

^[1]
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)

Year	Class	Team	Machine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Points	Rank	Wins
1987	80cc	Derbi	Derbi 80	ESP 2	GER -	NAT -	AUT -	YUG -	NED NC	GBR -	CZE -	RSM -	POR NC							12	11th	0
1988	80cc	Derbi	Derbi 80	ESP 3	EXP 3	NAT 4	GER 2		NED NC		YUG 3				CZE 3					90	2nd	0
	125cc	Hummel	Hummel 125	ESP -		NAT -	GER -	AUT -	NED -	BEL NC	YUG -	FRA -	GBR 9	SWE NC	CZE 17					7	31st	0
1989	125cc	JJ Cobas	Cobas-Rotax 125	JPN -	AUS 1	ESP 1	NAT NC	GER 1	AUT 3	NED 2	BEL NC	FRA 2	GBR 2	SWE 1	CZE 1					166	1st	5
1990	250cc	Marlboro Yamaha	TZ250	JPN -	USA NC	ESP 7	NAT NC	GER 11	AUT NC	YUG 7	NED NC	BEL NC	FRA 8	GBR 8	SWE 9	CZE 7	HUN 5	AUS 6		76	11th	0
1991	250cc	JJ Cobas	Cobas Honda 250	JPN NC	AUS NC	USA 9	ESP NC	ITA NC	GER 7	AUT 9	EUR NC	NED NC	FRA 9	GBR NC	RSM NC	CZE 5	VDM NC	MAL 6		51	13th	0
1992	500cc	Campsa-Pons Honda	NSR500	JPN NC	AUS 7	MAL 3	ESP NC	ITA 8	EUR NC	GER 4	NED 1	HUN DSQ	FRA NC	GBR NC	BRA 6	RSA 7				59	8th	1
1993	500cc	Marlboro-Pons Honda	NSR500	AUS 6	MAL 5	JPN 5	ESP 3	AUT NC	GER 4	NED 3	EUR NC	RSM NC	GBR NC	CZE 8	ITA 6	USA 7	FIM 4			117	8th	0
1994	500cc	HRC Honda	NSR500	AUS 6	MAL 8	JPN 7	ESP 5	AUT 3	GER 4	NED 3	ITA NC	FRA 3	GBR 6	CZE 4	USA -	ARG 7	EUR 4			144	6th	0
1995	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	AUS 3	MAL 3	JPN NC	ESP 3	GER 4	ITA 5	NED 2	FRA NC	GBR 3	CZE 6	BRA 6	ARG 4	EUR 1				166	4th	1
1996	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	MAL NC	INA 4	JPN 2	ESP NC	ITA 2	FRA 2	NED 2	GER 3	GBR 2	AUT 1	CZE 1	IMO 2	CAT 3	BRA 2	AUS 6		245	2nd	2
1997	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	MAL 2	JPN 2	ESP 1	ITA 4	AUT 5	FRA 4	NED -	IMO -	GER -	BRA -	GBR -	CZE 4	CAT 3	INA 3	AUS 1		172	4th	2
1998	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	JPN 4	MAL 4	ESP 1	ITA 3	FRA 1	MAD 5	NED 6	GBR 4	GER 3	CZE 2	IMO 2	CAT NC	AUS 3	ARG NC			198	3rd	2
1999	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	MAL 3	JPN 4	ESP 1	FRA 1	ITA 1	CAT 1	NED NC	GBR 1	GER 2	CZE 2	IMO 1	VAL NC	AUS 5	RSA 3	BRA 6	ARG 5	267	1st	6
2000	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	RSA 5	MAL NC	JPN 6	ESP 4	FRA 1	ITA NC	CAT NC	NED 2	GBR 7	GER NC	CZE 7	POR 6	VAL NC	BRA 11	PAC 6	AUS NC	122	9th	1
2001	500cc	Repsol Honda	NSR500	JPN 9	RSA 6	ESP 3	FRA 5	ITA 4	CAT 11	NED NC	GBR 7	GER DNS	CZE 2	POR NC	VAL NC	PAC 11	AUS 11	MAL 6	BRA 7	120	8th	0

References

1. "Rider Statistics - Àlex Crivillé". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 2008-09-04.
2. Àlex Crivillé profile at crash.net
3. Noyes, D. "Dreams Come True", pages 37-38. Motocourse 1999-2000, Scott, M. (ed.) Richmond: Hazleton Publishing Ltd, 1999.
4. Jennings, B.: Injured Criville takes the race and the championship lead, May 7, 1999.
5. Motocourse 2000-2001, Scott, M. (ed.) Page 36. Richmond: Hazleton Publishing Ltd, 2000.
6. Motorcycling: Criville not forced out by epilepsy The Independent, February 21, 2002.

External links

• Crash.net profile
• Interview following his 500cc championship victory