Vincent lands QUB ride.

Britain's Jay Vincent is to ride a Yamaha for QUB Team Optimum in next year's MotoGP 250cc World Championship.

Vincent, who finished eleventh in the 2000 championship aboard an Aprilia, finished third in the unofficial GP250 'privateer' class, only beaten by TZ Yamahas similar to that which he is to ride next season. The Queen's University Belfast squad have been entrusted with developing the TZ machines for the 16-race season, and will have two machines at their disposal.

"I am very happy that it has all been sorted before Christmas," Vincent said, "Now I can concentrate on getting fit and the season ahead. I was beaten by two TZs in the championship last year, so I know that they are strong and where they can be improved upon, which is something that QUB, with all of their resources and dynos - one at the track in the back of the truck - can really do.

"Yamaha are keen to focus their efforts in GP250 now towards the TZs, as the [works] YZRs have been given to the Petronas team, although reportedly with not a huge deal of back up as [Yamaha] concentrates on its 500 machines."

Vincent was reportedly very close to landing the Honda NSR500 which Chris Walker signed to ride for the Shell Advance team last week, and disappointed at the outcome after he had thought the ride was all but his.

"I was disappointed when the whole GP500 thing all fell flat, but at least I was in the running for one," he said, "I am still climbing
the ladder, and will certainly have a chance to be offered one again before my career peaks."

Back in 1998, Vincent made his world championship debut with Padgetts as a privateer, and rode for the team gain last season, but insists that his split from the team is not total.

"Clive [Padgett] and I sat down after Australia and basically decided that we had to find some more money to go to the next step," he explained, "That got within an ace of happening - so close. A V-Twin 500 was on offer, but I thought better of that. Anyway, Clive has taken me up the ladder as far as I could go with what was available, but he is continuing to be my manager and will come to a few races and help out.

"Testing starts in February, as the team will only get hold of the bikes in January, but, with the season starting a little later than
2000 [8 April], we will get in the groove for the season ahead. I am really looking forward to it."

QUB ran Aprilias for Vincent's fellow Britons Jamie Robinson and Adrian Coates in 2000. The decision on a second rider for 2001 has still to be made.