Giacomo Agostini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Giacomo Agostini
Agostini in 2022
Nationality	Italian
Born	(1942-06-16) 16 June 1942 (age 83) 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 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 (born 16 June 1942) is a famous Italian former professional motorcycle racer. He also managed racing teams. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1963 to 1977. Most of his career was with the MV Agusta factory racing team.

Agostini won an amazing 122 Grand Prix races and 15 World Championship titles. He earned 68 wins and 8 titles in the 500cc class. The rest of his wins and titles were in the 350cc class. Because of these achievements over 17 years, many consider him one of the greatest Grand Prix riders ever. In 2000, he joined the MotoGP Hall of Fame.

Starting His Racing Journey

Agostini was born in Brescia, Lombardy, Italy. His family lived in Lovere. When he was young, his father did not want him to race motorcycles. Giacomo had to secretly compete in early races like hill climbs and road races.

Eventually, his father accepted his passion for racing. In 1963, Agostini won the Italian 175cc championship on a Moto Morini bike. He got a big chance when another rider left the Morini team. Count Alfonso Morini then hired young Agostini to race for him. In 1964, Agostini won the Italian 350cc title. He also showed his skill by finishing fourth in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Becoming a World Champion

Agostini's great results caught the attention of Count Domenico Agusta. He signed Agostini to race for his MV Agusta team. Agostini became teammates with the famous rider Mike Hailwood. In 1965, Agostini had a close fight with Honda's Jim Redman for the 350cc world championship. He was leading the final race in Japan when his bike broke down. This handed the title to Redman.

Agostini in 1968

After the 1965 season, Hailwood left MV Agusta. This made Agostini the top rider for the team. He then won the 500cc title seven years in a row for MV Agusta. He also won the 350cc title seven times in a row. Agostini also won 10 Isle of Man TT races. In 1967, he had an epic battle with Hailwood. They each won five races, and Agostini won the championship in the very last race.

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

After a sad event at the 1972 Isle of Man TT, Agostini decided he would not race there again. He felt the 37.73-mile circuit was too dangerous for world championship races. At that time, the TT was a very important race. Agostini's decision led to other top riders also refusing to race there. This caused the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to remove the Isle of Man TT from the World Championship calendar after 1976. Some fans were upset, but Agostini explained he only opposed riders being forced to race there for the championship.

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

Agostini left MV Agusta to ride for Yamaha in 1974. His first race for Yamaha was the Daytona 200, which he won. This helped make the Daytona 200 a very famous race. He then won the 1974 350cc World Championship. However, injuries and bike problems stopped him from winning the 500cc title that year. He came back strong in 1975 and won the 500cc title. This was a big moment because it was the first time a two-stroke motorcycle won the top class.

The 1975 championship was Agostini's last. In 1976, he rode both Yamaha and MV Agusta bikes in the 500cc class. He won one 350cc race in Assen. For the tough Nürburgring race, he chose the 500cc MV Agusta and won. This was his last Grand Prix win, the last for MV Agusta, and the last for four-stroke engines in the 500cc class. He stopped motorcycle racing after the 1977 season.

Agostini in 2003

Racing Cars Too!

Like some other famous motorcycle racers, Agostini also tried racing cars. He competed in non-championship Formula One races in 1978. He also raced in the European Formula 2 series and the British Formula One Championship. He ended his car racing career in 1980.

Becoming a Team Manager

In 1982, Agostini returned to motorcycle racing, but this time as a team manager. He managed the Marlboro Yamaha team. In this role, he helped his riders win three 500cc titles with Eddie Lawson. He also managed other successful riders like Graeme Crosby and Kenny Roberts. Under his leadership, his riders won several Daytona Formula 1 and Superbike championships.

From 1986 to 1990, he also managed the Marlboro Yamaha 250cc team. Riders like Luca Cadalora and Àlex Crivillé were part of his team.

From 1992 to 1994, he was the team manager for the Cagiva factory racing team. Cagiva then left the world championship. Agostini's last season as a team manager was in 1995. He managed a 250cc Honda team with Doriano Romboni as the rider.

Images for kids

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  Agostini in 2022

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  Agostini in 1968

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

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

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  Agostini in 2003

See also

In Spanish: Giacomo Agostini para niños