West Honda Pons launched at Jerez.

Two World Championship winners, Spaniard Sito Pons and West, joined forces to launch a new 500cc Grand Prix team in Jerez last night, February 15.

West will be the title sponsor of the Honda Pons team in the 16-round 500cc MotoGP World Championship that starts at Suzuka, Japan, on April 8.

Ever since they launched their motorsport programme in 1997 with McLaren, West has set new parameters in Formula One, both on and off the track. Finnish driver Mika Hakkinen brought them World Championship success in 1998 and 1999 while the team also won the Constructors' World title in 1998.

"We are extremely proud of our partnership with Honda Pons, the best private team last season in motorcycling's premier division, the World Motorcycle Championship," stated Conrad Politt, Director of West Sponsoring Communications. "In addition to being a champion rider, Sito Pons has now demonstrated that he is one of the very best team managers."

"Our title sponsorship of West Honda Pons is a separate but complementary involvement to our partnership with the West McLaren Mercedes Formula One team. We will be applying all our experience from the world of motorsport to ensure we make as big a contribution as possible to the success of West Honda Pons," added Politt.

Sito Pons became the first Spaniard to win a World Road Racing Championship when he claimed the 250cc crown in 1988 and 1989. Following his retirement from racing, Pons took over the team for which he'd ridden in 1992 and renamed it Honda Pons. Last year the team had a ground-breaking season when they won three 500cc Grand Prix with riders Alex Barros and Loris Capirossi.

"For the whole team this co-operation means that we are now working together with a very professional and experienced partner," explained Sito Pons, Manager West Honda Pons Team. "We expect a very conspiratorial and fruitful partnership for the future, and it's a big step in the right direction. Winning is our aim for the upcoming season and we are well prepared."

"We have two excellent riders, Alex and Loris. Each rider has his own mechanics and, although there is a natural rivalry, both are willing to work hard to make this partnership a success. Furthermore we have two well developed bikes at our disposal. And with West on board we are ready to fight for the World Championship," Pons added.

In addition to managing the Barcelona-based team, Pons is President of IRTA (The International Racing Teams Association).

Thirty-year-old Alex Barros had his best ever MotoGP season last year, finishing fourth in the 500cc World Championship. He won both the Dutch and German Grand Prix in very different track conditions and led many races throughout the season.

Barros is the most experienced rider in MotoGP, having started grand prix racing in 1986 in the now defunct 80cc class. When he lines up on the Suzuka grid in April he will be starting his 11th consecutive season in the 500cc class.

"I am looking forward to this season, because I've practised a lot, I have a great team and I am excited to work together with our new sponsor West," enthused Barros. "The NSR 500 is brand new and has high potential. The co-operation within the whole team is really good and harmonic. This is really important, because if a problem appears you only have a short time to solve it. I will do my best to pay back what West invests in our team. And maybe I am even able to win the first grand prix, as David Coulthard did in his first year for the West McLaren Mercedes team."

Loris Capirossi has already tasted World Championship success on three separate occasions. In his very first full season of grand prix racing he won the World 125cc Championship in 1990 and retained his title the next year.

He switched to the 250cc class in 1992 and was runner-up in the Championship the following year. After two years in the 500cc class he returned to the 250's in 1997 and captured the World Championship in 1998.

Last year he returned to the 500cc class riding for Honda-Pons. Despite an injury hit season he finished seventh which included a win in front of his home crowd in the Italian Grand Prix at Mugello.

A typical example of Capirossi's bravery came at the rain-lashed Dutch Grand Prix in Assen. The Italian finished third in the race won by his team-mate Barros, despite breaking his left hand in a warm-up crash on the morning of the race.

The Italian also belongs to a very exclusive club, being one of the few riders to have won Grand Prix races in the 125, 250 and 500cc classes.

"Our new title sponsor West is a great enrichment for our team," commented Capirossi. "I will do my very best throughout this season. I worked out the whole winter on my fitness, whereas the mechanics did a fantastic job to make the new bike even more suitable for me."

Last year the MotoGP World 500cc Championship was the most competitive in the 51-year history of grand prix motorcycle racing.

The 16-round Championship produced eight separate winners and some magnificent racing with constant lead changes and overtaking in front of massive audiences, both at the circuits and on worldwide television.