MOTEGI (Japan), Oct 7: Italy’s Valentino Rossi led a Honda sweep of the podium places in the 500cc Pacific Grand Prix on Sunday to edge closer to clinching the world championship.

Alex Barros of Brazil finished less than three seconds behind Rossi while Italian Loris Capirossi, who started in pole position, placed third at the Twin Ring circuit.

Rossi, who is the clear favourite to become Italy’s first 500cc world champion since Franco Uncini in 1982, completed the 25 laps in 46 minutes 32.600 seconds after starting from fourth place on the grid.

Reigning world champion Kenny Roberts managed only eighth place.

Results

500cc: 1. Valentino Rossi (Italy) Honda 46 minutes 32.600 seconds; 2. Alex Barros (Brazil) Honda 35.207 secs behind; 3. Loris Capirossi (Italy) Honda 42.365; 4. Norick Abe (Japan) Yamaha 46.551; 5. Tohru Ukawa (Japan) Honda 54.594; 6. Shinya Nakano (Japan) Yamaha 54.879; 7. Carlos Checa (Spain) Yamaha 59.932; 8. Kenny Roberts (U.S.) Suzuki 47:00.207; 9. Sete Gibernau (Spain) Suzuki 06.422; 10. Yukio Kagayama (Japan) Suzuki 10.739.

250cc: 1. Tetsuya Harada (Japan) Aprilia 43:59.587; 2. Emilio Alzamora (Spain) Honda 44:07.146; 3. Jeremy McWilliams (Britain) Aprilia 07.611; 4. Fonsi Nieto (Spain) Aprilia 11.049; 5. Roberto Rolfo (Italy) Aprilia 11.320; 6. Roberto Locatelli (Italy) Aprilia 13.085; 7. Naoki Matsudo (Japan) Yamaha 19.524; 8. Franco Battaini (Italy) Aprilia 24.378; 9. Taro Sekiguchi (Japan) Yamaha 26.528; 10. Nobuyuki Ohsaki (Japan) Yamaha 33.258.

125cc: 1. Youichi Ui (Japan) Derbi 42:01.711; 2. Manuel Poggiali (San Marino) Gilera 02.715; 3. Daniel Pedrosa (Spain) Honda 02.840; 4. Lucio Cecchinello (Italy) Aprilia 13.820; 5. Masao Azuma (Japan) Honda 24.858; 6. Gabor Talmacsi (Hungary) Honda 30.056; 7. Mirko Giansanti (Italy) Honda 30.098; 8. Gino Borsoi (Italy) Aprilia 31.389; 9. Gianluigi Scalvini (Italy) Italjet 31.609; 10. Alessandro Brannetti (Italy) Aprilia 31.737—Reuters