 In 1999 and 2000 he raced in the 250cc World Championship alongside his domestic commitments, finishing 14th overall on a Yamaha TZ250 with a best result of 6th at Estoril in 2000.He was 4th in the world championship in 2001, with 4 successive 5th places early in the season and a pair of late-season podium finishes.He won 4 races in 2002, finishing 2nd to Marco Melandri.