Roberts returns to Rio rostrum.

Kenny Roberts Jr took his best result of a difficult 2002 campaign - and his first rostrum finish on the new four-stroke GSV-R racer - in a rain-sodden Rio Grand Prix, after leading half the race, and finishing third.

The American was following up fourth place at Portugal two weeks earlier, and overcame a fourth-row grid position and appalling conditions to burst through to the front, taking the lead on the second of 24 laps of the 4.933km Nelson Piquet circuit outside Rio de Janeiro. Roberts had been fastest in the damp morning warm-up, and with the rain falling constantly throughout the race, the 2000 world champion stayed in front until after half distance, when he lost the position to eventual winner Valentino Rossi.

The Suzuki rider then dropped to fourth as a fierce battle ensued up front, but was promoted back to third when one of the protagonists, Carlos Checa, fell shortly after taking the lead. Rossi went on to win, securing the first MotoGP world championship, with Max Biaggi second.

"I was in the right place at the right time after starting from the fourth row of the grid, and I was up to second by the third corner," Roberts recalled, "I knew from warm-up that I had a good pace, but my pit board was only showing me the gap with Valentino, so I was trying to look at other people's boards to see how the race was panning out.

"After twelve laps, Valentino passed me. I decided I would do everything he did, but he opened the gas in a place in the corner where I couldn't even think of it. Then Biaggi and Checa came by me on the back straight - I didn't expect them at all, and it gave me quite a fright.

"As the fuel load lightened, I wasn't able to load the front wheel as I needed, and the new clutch was dragging the back down. The team and the factory are working hard on making the bike better - you can measure the improvement. At the start of the year, I could barely ride the bike in the wet. Now I can lead the race and finish on the rostrum."

"It was awesome to see Kenny come from the back of the grid into second in just three corners, and then to see him lead the race for twelve laps," admitted, team boss Garry Taylor, "Finishing on the podium is not quite perfect, but it's pretty close, and obviously shows how Suzuki have got the bike from where he could barely ride it in the rain to almost being able to dominate. It looks as though the Kenny who won the title is back, but we knew that he'd never really gone away."