Giacomo Agostini

Giacomo Agostini
Agostini in 2022
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1942-06-16) 16 June 1942 Brescia, Kingdom of Italy
Motorcycle racing career statistics Grand Prix motorcycle racing Active years 1964 – 1977 First race 1963 250cc Nations Grand Prix Last race 1977 500cc British Grand Prix First win 1965 350cc German Grand Prix Last win 1976 500cc German Grand Prix Team(s) MV Agusta, Yamaha, Suzuki Championships 350cc – 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 500cc – 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1975 Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points 223 122 159 9 117 1577 Isle of Man TT career TTs contested 8 (1965 – 1972) TT wins 10 First TT win 1966 Junior TT Last TT win 1972 Senior TT TT podiums 13
British Formula One Championship career
Active years	1979–1980
Races	23
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	7
Career points	41
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0

Giacomo Agostini (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒaːkomo aɡoˈstiːni]; born 16 June 1942) is an Italian former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500 cc class, the rest in the 350 cc class. For these achievements obtained over the course of a career spanning 17 years, the AMA described him as "...perhaps the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time". In 2000, Agostini was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend, while in 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.

Early career

Agostini was born in Brescia, Lombardy. His family was from Lovere, where his father was employed in the local town council. The oldest of four brothers, Agostini initially had to steal away to compete, first in hill climb events and then in road racing, as his father did not approve of his son's motorcycle racing career and did everything he could to persuade him not to race.

Eventually his father came to terms with his racing and Agostini won the 1963 Italian 175cc championship aboard a Morini. He got his break when Morini factory rider Tarquinio Provini left the team to ride for Benelli. Count Alfonso Morini hired the young Agostini to ride for him. In 1964, Agostini would win the Italian 350cc title and proved his ability by finishing fourth in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

World championships

These results caught the eye of Count Domenico Agusta, who signed Agostini to ride for his MV Agusta squad as Mike Hailwood's teammate. Agostini then fought a season-long battle with Honda's Jim Redman for the 1965 350cc world championship. He seemed to have the title won when he led the final round in Japan at Suzuka when his bike failed him, handing the title to Redman.

Agostini in 1968

At the end of the 1965 season, Hailwood left to join Honda as he had tired of working for the difficult Count Agusta. With Agostini now the top MV Agusta rider, he responded by winning the 500cc title seven years in succession for the Italian factory. He would also win the 350cc title seven times in succession and won 10 Isle of Man TTs. At the time, the Isle of Man TT and the Ulster Grand Prixs were regularly won by Anglophonic (mostly British) riders; in addition to Agostini's successes at the TT he also won 7 Ulster Grand Prix races- he was the only non-British rider to achieve the same kind of success in these British motorcycle races- which were 2 of the most difficult motorcycle races in the world at the time. In 1967 he battled Hailwood in one of the most dramatic seasons in Grand Prix history. Each rider had 5 victories before the championship was decided in Agostini's favor at the last race of the season.

Agostini (1) and Mike Hailwood (2) dueling during the 1967 500cc Dutch TT.

Agostini on the 350cc MV Agusta during practice for the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring

Agostini dropped a bombshell on the Grand Prix world when he announced he would never again race at the Isle of Man TT, after the death of his close friend, Gilberto Parlotti during the 1972 TT. He considered the 37.73 mile circuit unsafe for world championship competition. At the time, the TT was the most prestigious race on the motorcycling calendar. This decision had far reaching consequences for the TT and would lead to a walk-out of the top Grand Prix stars many of whom resorted to severe criticism of the organisation and safety at the event, with people such as Phil Read in the vanguard of the critics.

In certain aspects the comments were justified and resulted in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme taking the decision that the Isle of Man TT would be withdrawn from the World Championship calendar after the 1976 races. However the decision did cause a high degree of dissatisfaction with many pure road racing fans and resulted in some, not least those on the Isle of Man, forming a dislike of Agostini.

However in his defence Agostini always maintained that his sentiment reflected riders being contractually required to race at the Isle of Man as part of a World Championship campaign, as opposed to having the freedom of conscience governing their decision.

In time most fans came to accept the conclusions taken in 1972 and for many years Agostini, along with many other former competitors, have been frequent guests at the TT Races where they ride on exhibition and parade laps,one of the most memorable instances occurring on 8 June 2009, when Agostinin accompanied Valentino Rossi around the famous Snaefell Mountain Course in an exhibition lap in what was called 'The Lap of the Gods'.

Agostini surprised the racing world when he announced that he would leave MV Agusta to ride for Yamaha for the 1974 season. On his first outing for the Japanese factory, he won the Daytona 200, helping to cement the race's reputation as one of the most prestigious motorcycle races in the world. He went on to claim the 1974 350cc World Championship but injuries and mechanical problems kept him from winning the 500cc crown. He rebounded and won the 1975 500cc title, marking the first time a two-stroke machine won the premier class.

The 1975 championship would also be the last world title for the 33-year-old Italian. In 1976, he rode both Yamaha and MV bikes in the 500cc class, yet raced only once in the 350cc to win in Assen. For the challenging Nürburgring, he chose the 500cc MV Agusta and took it to victory, winning the last Grand Prix for both himself, the marque and the last for four-stroke engines in the 500cc class.

He retired from motorcycle competition after finishing 6th in the 1977 season in which he also raced in 750cc endurance races for Yamaha.

Agostini in 2003

Racing car career

Like Jean-Pierre Beltoise, John Surtees and Mike Hailwood before him, Agostini raced in Formula One cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He competed in the European Formula 2 series in a Chevron B42-BMW and British Aurora Formula 1 with his own team and a Williams FW06. He ended his auto racing career in 1980.

Team manager

In 1982, Agostini returned to motorcycle racing as the Marlboro Yamaha team manager. In this role he won three 500cc titles with Eddie Lawson and managed many successful riders including Graeme Crosby and Kenny Roberts. Under his management riders won the 1982 Daytona Formula 1 (Crosby), 1983 and 1984 Daytona Formula 1 (Roberts) and 1986 Daytona Superbike championships (Lawson). Between 1986 and 1990 he also managed the Marlboro Yamaha 250cc team with riders like Luca Cadalora, Martin Wimmer and Àlex Crivillé.

Since 1992, he served as the Cagiva factory racing team manager until 1994, when Cagiva withdrew from the world championship. Agostini's last season as team manager was 1995 when he managed a 250cc Honda team with Doriano Romboni as rider.

Complete Grand Prix motorcycle racing results

Source:

Points system from 1964 to 1968:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1969 onwards:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Year	Class	Bike	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Pts	Pos
1963	250cc	Moto Morini	ESP	GER		IOM	NED	BEL	ULS	DDR		NAT Ret	ARG	JPN		0	NC
1964	250cc	Moto Morini	USA	ESP	FRA	IOM	NED	BEL	GER 4	DDR	ULS		NAT 4	JPN		6	12th
1965	350cc	MV Agusta		GER 1	IOM 3	NED 3		DDR Ret	CZE Ret	ULS	FIN 1	NAT 1	JPN 5			32	2nd
	500cc	MV Agusta	USA	GER 2	IOM Ret	NED 2	BEL 2	DDR 2	CZE 2	ULS	FIN 1	NAT 2				32	2nd
1966	350cc	MV Agusta	GER Ret	FRA 2	NED 2		DDR 1	CZE 2	FIN Ret	ULS 2	IOM 1	NAT 1	JPN			42	2nd
	500cc	MV Agusta	GER 2		NED 2	BEL 1	DDR Ret	CZE 2	FIN 1	ULS 2	IOM 2	NAT 1				36	1st
1967	350cc	MV Agusta	GER 2	IOM 2	NED 2		DDR 2	CZE 7		ULS 1	NAT Ret		JPN			32	2nd
	500cc	MV Agusta	GER 1	IOM Ret	NED 2	BEL 1	DDR 1	CZE 2	FIN 1	ULS 20	NAT 1	CAN 2				46	1st
1968	350cc	MV Agusta	GER 1		IOM 1	NED 1		DDR 1	CZE 1		ULS 1	NAT 1				32	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	GER 1	ESP 1	IOM 1	NED 1	BEL 1	DDR 1	CZE 1	FIN 1	ULS 1	NAT 1				48	1st
1969	350cc	MV Agusta	ESP 1	GER 1		IOM 1	NED 1		DDR 1	CZE 1	FIN 1	ULS 1	NAT	YUG		90	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	ESP 1	GER 1	FRA 1	IOM 1	NED 1	BEL 1	DDR 1	CZE 1	FIN 1	ULS 1	NAT	YUG		105	1st
1970	350cc	MV Agusta	GER 1		YUG 1	IOM 1	NED 1		DDR 1	CZE 1	FIN 1	ULS 1	NAT 1	ESP		105	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	GER 1	FRA 1	YUG 1	IOM 1	NED 1	BEL 1	DDR 1		FIN 1	ULS 1	NAT 1	ESP		90	1st
1971	350cc	MV Agusta	AUT 1	GER 1	IOM Ret	NED 1		DDR 1	CZE Ret	SWE 1	FIN 1	ULS	NAT Ret	ESP		90	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	AUT 1	GER 1	IOM 1	NED 1	BEL 1	DDR 1		SWE 1	FIN 1	ULS	NAT Ret	ESP		90	1st
1972	350cc	MV Agusta	GER 2	FRA 4	AUT 1	NAT 1	IOM 1	YUG Ret	NED 1		DDR Ret	CZE Ret	SWE 1	FIN 1	ESP	102	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	GER 1	FRA 1	AUT 1	NAT 1	IOM 1	YUG Ret	NED 1	BEL 1	DDR 1	CZE 1	SWE 1	FIN 1	ESP	105	1st
1973	350cc	MV Agusta	FRA 1	AUT Ret	GER Ret	NAT 1	IOM	YUG	NED 1		CZE 2	SWE 2	FIN 1	ESP		84	1st
	500cc	MV Agusta	FRA Ret	AUT Ret	GER Ret	NAT C	IOM	YUG	NED Ret	BEL 1	CZE 1	SWE 2	FIN 1	ESP		57	3rd
1974	350cc	Yamaha	FRA 1	GER	AUT 1	NAT 1	IOM	NED 1		SWE DNS	FIN		YUG 1	ESP		75	1st
	500cc	Yamaha	FRA Ret	GER	AUT 1	NAT Ret	IOM	NED 1	BEL 2	SWE Ret	FIN	CZE 6				47	4th
1975	350cc	Yamaha	FRA 2	ESP 1	AUT Ret	GER Ret	NAT 2	IOM	NED 4			FIN 2	CZE Ret	YUG		59	2nd
	500cc	Yamaha	FRA 1		AUT Ret	GER 1	NAT 1	IOM	NED 2	BEL Ret	SWE Ret	FIN 1	CZE 2			84	1st
1976	350cc	MV Agusta	FRA Ret	AUT Ret	NAT Ret	YUG Ret	IOM	NED 1			FIN Ret	CZE Ret	GER Ret	ESP		15	15th
	500cc	MV Agusta	FRA 5	AUT 6									GER 1			26	7th
		Suzuki			NAT Ret		IOM	NED Ret	BEL Ret	SWE	FIN Ret	CZE Ret
1977	350cc	Yamaha	VEN		GER 2	NAT 8	ESP -	FRA 11	YUG -	NED -		SWE 13	FIN -	CZE 10	GBR -	16	16th
	500cc	Yamaha	VEN	AUT	GER	NAT 5		FRA 2		NED Ret	BEL 8	SWE 9	FIN Ret	CZE 2	GBR 9	37	6th

Complete Formula 750 Championship results

Year	Class	Bike	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	Pts	Pos
1975	750cc	Yamaha	USA 4	ITA 1	ITA 2	BEL 1	BEL 2	FRA 1	FRA 2	SWE 1	SWE 2	FIN 1	FIN 2	SIL 1	SIL 2	NED 1	NED 2	GER 1	GER 2			8	21st
1976	750cc	Yamaha	USA	VEN 1	VEN 2	ITA 1	ITA 2	ESP 1	ESP 2	BEL 1	BEL 2	FRA 1	FRA 2 3	SIL 1	SIL 2	NED 1	NED 2 1	GER 1	GER 2			12	18th
1977	750cc	Yamaha	USA	ITA 1	ITA 2 3	ESP	FRA 1	FRA 2	GBR 1	GBR 2	AUT 2	BEL 1	BEL 2	NED 1 4	NED 2 4	USA 1	USA 2	CAN 1	CAN 2	GER 1 1	GER 2 1	45	3rd

Complete British Formula One Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Pos	Pts.
1979	Giacomo Agostini	Williams FW06	Cosworth	ZOL 9	OUL 6	BRH 5	MAL Ret	SNE 2	THR 6	ZAN 3	DON 9	OUL 3	NOG Ret	MAL Ret	BRH Ret	THR 6	SNE 7	SIL 7	8th	19
1980	Giacomo Agostini	Williams FW06	Cosworth	OUL	BRH 4	SIL Ret	MAL	THR 4	MNZ 3	MAL	SNE Ret	BRH 3	THR 3	OUL	SIL 3				5th	22

See also

• Legends of Italian sport - Walk of Fame

External links

• Giacommo Agostini at MotoGP.com
• Giacommo Agostini at the CONI honored athlete website (in Italian)
• Giacomo-Agostini.com – Official site
• Giacomo Agostini at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame