Yamaha on Top as Criville wins championship
Same Day Brazilian Grand Prix race report

Spaniard Alex Criville became the first European in 17 years to win the 500 world championship in Brazil on Sunday, but his title-winning ride to sixth place was overshadowed by the best race of the year up front. Norick Abe and fellow Yamaha man Max Biaggi fought a no-holds-barred Rio rumble with Suzuki's Kenny Roberts, crossing the line covered by just 0.257 seconds.

They were so close that each of the trio took their turns out front on the last lap, Abe leading into the final turn with Biaggi trying a desperate last-gasp maneuver. The Italian got ahead briefly then collided with Abe, forcing himself wide onto the curb where he got his Marlboro YZR well sideways. That lost him crucial speed, putting Abe ahead at the flag by a tenth.
Biaggi returned to his pit grinning and with his leathers covered in tire marks from Abe's YZR - like his rivals, he'd enjoyed every minute of the race.

"Everyone was trying so hard to win," beamed a delighted Abe, who hasn't won a race since his maiden GP success at Suzuka '96. "At one point on the last lap I was down to third when both Max and Kenny came past and I thought I wasn't going to win. But my bike was so fast that I could pass them both on the straight. At the last turn Max and I touched, which isn't good. I'm sorry but so happy!"

Though beaten, Biaggi had good reason to smile, his storming late season form - including victory in South Africa a two weeks earlier and second in Australia the previous week - has moved him to fourth overall. "That was a really fun race," he said. "Winning is always better but we were far behind in practice so second is good today." Like most of his rivals Biaggi had gambled on bike set-up because a rain-lashed Friday had given teams just Saturday's two sessions to work on settings and tire choice. Most riders chose dual-compound Michelin slicks for the race, with harder left sides for the abrasive and bumpy anti-clockwise track.

Roberts came out on top in qualifying and opened an early lead in the race, chased hard by Tadayuki Okada, the only man who could still beat Repsol Honda team-mate Criville to the title. But at one-third distance Roberts slowed suddenly, allowing Okada to get right up with the American. "Going down the straightaway the motor suddenly stopped, like it had sucked in a reed valve," said Roberts, unlucky for the third race in succession. "I put my hand up but then the motor got going again. From then on I lost about 600rpm, so I was upshifting at 12,200. It was a bit jumpy on quarter throttle but okay once I'd learned to ride it like that."

Now Abe was with them, his Yamaha proving lightning fast on Rio's 190 mph back straight. At half distance he was even able to power past Okada's Honda and, surprised by his own speed, braked earlier than usual, his fellow Japanese slamming into the YZR's back wheel. Okada was lucky to stay on but he ran off the track, dropping to tenth.
Abe led from Roberts with Biaggi joining them up front. Abe seemed to hold the upper hand until Biaggi began a wild series of attacks over the last two laps. He got ahead briefly with one lap to go, then again at the start of the final lap, touching Abe as he swept ahead at turn one. Then suddenly the Japanese was back to third as Roberts jumped past and then briefly got ahead of the other Yamaha too.

"I was thinking 'Shit, I'm not going to win this one'," added Abe. "But my bike was so fast I could get them both on the back straight."

But Biaggi wasn't finished yet. "I tried a desperate move at the final corner, running round the outside," he said. "But then I got on the paint, with the tire spinning, so I lost speed and got second."

Local hero Alex Barros (Movistar Honda Pons) fought and won a duel for fourth with Sete Gibernau (Repsol Honda) while behind them Criville took sixth after a hectic race-long battle with Garry McCoy (Red Bull Yamaha), Nobuatsu Aoki (Suzuki) and Anthony Gobert (MuZ). Criville only needed to finish tenth to wrap up the title and obviously wanted to run an easy, comfortable race. Instead he found himself in probably the most dangerous place on the track, right between feisty Aussies McCoy and Gobert, who ducked and dived around the Spaniard through much the race. Eventually Criville got to the front of the group where Okada - coming back from his excursion - gave worthy support, protecting his back end.

"This is the happiest day of my life, I'm number one at last!" said Criville, the first European 500 champ since Italian Franco Uncini won the 1982 title on a Suzuki. "I have finally achieved the goal I set myself when I started my professional career. All I wanted to do today was win the championship, I had nothing else to prove.

"I had to ride an intelligent race. That was so hard, especially when I was with McCoy and Gobert, and towards the end of the race I found it really hard to concentrate. When I finally crossed the finish line I started to cry. Three great champions gave me some good advice before the start. (Mick) Doohan, (Giacomo) Agostini and (Angel) Nieto all told me I just had to finish and get enough points, no one will remember where I finished today, the championship is what counts."

McCoy, riding as sideways as ever, was eighth behind Okada and just ahead of Aoki and the on-form Gobert, finally getting to grips with the MuZ to score his first 500 points since '97.

ENDS

Official Results/Championship Standings
500 Brazilian Grand Prix
1. Norick ABE  JAP Antena 3 Yamaha DíAntín  YAMAHA 45í24.308  1st A. CRIVILLÉ 256pts.
2. Max BIAGGI  ITA Marlboro Yamaha Team  YAMAHA 45í24.469  2nd T.OKADA 211pts.
3. Kenny ROBERTS USA Suzuki Grand Prix Team  SUZUKI 45í24.565  3rd K.ROBERTS 195pts.
4. Alex BARROS  BRA MoviStar Honda Pons  HONDA 45í28.750  4th M.BIAGGI 174pts.
5. Sete GIBERNAU SPA Repsol Honda Team  HONDA 45í28.939  5th S.GIBERNAU 155pts.
6. Alex CRIVILLÉ  SPA Repsol Honda Team  HONDA 45í45.562  6th N.ABE  120pts.
7. Tadayuki OKADA JAP Repsol Honda Team  HONDA 45í45.833  7th C.CHECA 112 pts.
8. Garry MCCOY  AUS Red Bull Yamaha WCM  YAMAHA 45í46.702  8th J.KOCINSKI 106pts.
9. Nobuatsu AOKI  JAP Suzuki Grand Prix Team  SUZUKI 45í47.397  9th A.BARROS 102 pts.
10. Anthony GOBERT USA Team Biland GP1   MUZ WEBER 45í54.583 10th  R.LACONI 99 pts.