Giacomo Agostini
Giacomo " Ago " Agostini ( born June 16, 1942 in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy ) is an Italian former motorcycle racer.
He is considered one of the best motorcycle racer in history, and has 15 world titles the most successful rider of the motorcycle world championship.
- 3.1 Literature
- 3.2 External links
- 3.3 Notes and references
Career
Motorcycling Agostini learned as a teenager with a 50 - Parilla. In 1962 he first came to race at: with a 175 - cc - Morini, he participated in uphill races and in 1963 Italian Bergmeister.
On September 15, 1963 in Monza, Italy Agostini entered the stage of the motorcycle world championship. He led the race until he had to retire due to a technical defect in his motorcycle. After this test of talent he could choose his employer for the following season. He chose MV Agusta and won on April 24, 1965 his first Grand Prix at a race on the southern loop of the Nürburgring before Mike Hailwood. In this year he was runner- up in the classes 350 and 500 cc and 1966 world champion in the 500s.
Agostini won 1966-1975 15 world championship titles, including seven in the class 350 cc and eight in the class up to 500 cc, of which 13 titles for MV Agusta and two titles for Yamaha. In total, he drove in his 186 race 159 times on the podium and celebrated 122 Grand Prix wins. He is the most successful motorcycle racer in history. After the 1977 season, in which Barry Sheene had beaten him in the fight for the title in the 500 cc class, Agostini ended his active career.
A change in the automobile racing in the following years brought little success. He drove in 1978 Formula 2, but could be with the Chevron B42 BMW qualify only four times, and take the eighth place at the Eifel race on the Nordschleife only once in the top 10. He took in 1979 and 1980 with an old Williams FW06 at the British Aurora AFX Formula 1 series part and won there three podium places. When Gran Premio Dino Ferrari on September 16, 1979 in Imola, he was lapped by the winner Niki Lauda.
For the 1982 season Agostini returned as team manager of his team Yamaha Marlboro Agostini and later as team boss at Cagiva in the Grand Prix circus.
To date, Agostini is a sought-after guest at various motorcycle events. He is married and has two children, an older daughter and a younger son, and lives in Bergamo, Italy.
The special edition F4 AGO MV Agusta with the legendary number 1 was developed under his cooperation.
The American punk 'n' roll band Zeke dedicated to him the song " Viva Agostini! " From the album " Flat Tracker " as a homage.
Statistics
Title
World Champion Title
Italian Champion title
Isle-of -Man TT victories
Daytona 200
200 Miles of Imola
In the World Motorcycle Championship
- GP wins - 122
- Podium - 159
- Pole positions - 9
- Fastest laps - 117
- GP- offs: 250 cc - 2
- 350 cc - 81
- 500 cc - 103