Hopkins confirmed at Red Bull Yamaha.

As expected, American teenager John Hopkins has been named as Noriyuki Haga's replacement at the Red Bull Yamaha team for next year's MotoGP campaign.

Despite Haga only having a season to re-acclimatise to the grand prix series after defecting from the WSBK, he has decided to move in the opposite direction for 2002, leaving Hopkins, who has impressed in a series of informal tests with the team, to slot in alongside experienced campaigner Garry McCoy.

Hopkins has fulfilled his life's dream by signing a contract to race for the factory team, having watched both his father and a succession of all-American heroes performing on the world stage.

"My dad raced - he even did the Junior TT at the Isle of Man - and, when I was a kid, I was always around dirt bikes, going out to the desert," the youngster said, "That pretty much got me into motorcycling.

"As soon as I started racing the YZR 50, I watched all the GPs on TV, and I think I've still got a video of most those races back when Schwantz and Rainey were racing. I was really into it and I didn't really take much notice of the AMA circuit, I just watched the 500s and 250s. Wayne Rainey and Kevin Schwantz were big heroes of mine and, a little later, Mick Doohan also made a big impression on me."

The world championship winning deeds of his American heroes only served to focus Hopkins on his own goal of one day racing a factory GP bike. Despite his tender years, he has already established a fearsome reputation on the US national scene, claiming the AMA 750cc Supersport and the Formula USA Unlimited Superbike championships in 2000, and continuing his domination of the AMA, defending his Supersport 750 title while racing in Supersport 600 and winning the USA Formula Xtreme Championship this year.

Three test sessions with Red Bull Yamaha over a period of twelve months - at Brno in 2000 and 2001, and most recently at Estoril in September - have now landed Hopkins with the job of a lifetime - one he is prepared to put his college education on hold for after graduating from high school earlier this year.

"It was a big decision not to go to college and just concentrate on racing but the opportunity to do the world championship on a factory Yamaha is one not to miss," he admitted, "I'm pretty lucky, some guys would kill just to do a one lap on one of these bikes.

"It's definitely a big step from what I've be doing in the US, so, in the beginning, I'll concentrate on learning the tracks - which will be a big challenge - and obviously try and pick up as much as I can from the other riders.

"I just want to try and be the best, the grand prix world champion - that's always been my dream ever since I first started road racing."