Mike Hailwood

Mike Hailwood
Mike Hailwood
Nationality England English
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 19581967
First race 1958 250cc Isle of Man TT
Last race 1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix
First win 1959 125cc Ulster Grand Prix
Last win 1967 350cc Japanese Grand Prix
Team(s) Honda, MV Agusta
Championships 250cc - 1961, 1966, 1967
350cc - 1966, 1967
500cc -1962, 1963, 1964, 1965
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
152 76 112 N/A 79
Isle of Man TT career
TTs contested 12 (1958 - 1967, 1978, 1979)
TT wins 14
First TT win 1961 Lightweight 125 TT
Last TT win 1979 Senior TT
Podiums 19
Born 2 April 1940(1940-04-02)
Died 23 March 1981(1981-03-23) (aged 40)
Formula One World Championship career
Active years 1963 - 1965, 1971 - 1974
Teams Lotus, Lola, Surtees, McLaren
Races 50
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 2
Career points 29
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 1
First race 1963 British Grand Prix
Last race 1974 German Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years 1969-1970, 1973-1974
Teams John Wyer Automotive Engineering, Gulf Research Racing
Best finish 3rd (1969)
Class wins 0

Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, MBE, GM (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British Grand Prix motorcycle road racer regarded by many as one of the greatest racers of all time.[1][2] He was known as "Mike The Bike" because of his natural riding ability. Later in his career he went on to compete in Formula One auto racing, becoming one of the few men to compete at the Grand Prix level on motorcycles and in auto racing.

Mike Hailwood was born at Langsmeade House, Great Milton in Oxfordshire, His father, who also raced in the pre-World War II era, was a successful motorcycle dealer and as such, Hailwood had a comfortable upbringing.[1] He learned to ride at a young age on a minibike as a small boy in a field near his home.[1] He was educated at Pangbourne College, but left early and worked for a short time in the family business before his father sent him to work at Triumph motorcycles.[2] He married Pauline Barbara Nash on 11 June 1975 and had a son and a daughter.

Contents

Motorcycle racing career

Hailwood first raced on 22 April 1957, at Oulton Park. Barely 17, he finished in 11th place, but was soon posting successful results.[1] In 1958, he teamed with Dan Shorey to win the Thruxton 500 endurance race. By 1961, Hailwood was racing for an up and coming Japanese factory named Honda. In June 1961, he became the first man in the history of the Isle of Man TT to win three races in one week when he won in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc categories.[3] He lost the chance at winning a fourth race when his 350 AJS broke down with a broken gudgeon pin whilst leading. Riding a four-stroke, four-cylinder 250 cc Honda, Hailwood won the 1961 250cc world championship.[4] In 1962, Hailwood signed with MV Agusta and went on to become the first rider to win four consecutive 500cc World Championships.[1][4] After his success with MV Agusta, Hailwood went back to Honda and won four more world titles in 1966 and 1967 in the 250 cc and 350 cc categories.[1][4]

Honda RC162 as ridden by Hailwood in 1961

Mike Hailwood won the 1965 Hutchinson 100 Production race at the Silverstone racecourse on a BSA Lightning Clubman in heavy rain, beating the Triumph Racing Team's Bonnevilles. The 'Hutch' was the main production race of the season, so it was very important to manufactureres to establish the racing credentials of their latest range. Triumph Bonnevilles were ridden by World Champion Phil Read and ex works rider Percy Tait. BSA Lightning Clubmans were ridden by Hailwood (with a large number 1 on the fairing) and factory rider Tony Smith. Conditions were poor and Smith was out of the race at slippery Stowe Corner. With little regard for the rain, Hailwood was achieving laps of 83 mph (134 km/h) to establish his winning lead.[5]

Hailwood is remembered for his accomplishments at the famed Isle of Man TT. By 1967, he had won 12 times on the island mountain course.[4] He won what many historians consider to be the most dramatic Isle of Man race of all time, the 1967 Senior TT against his great rival, Giacomo Agostini.[1][6] In that race he set a lap record of 108.77 mph (175.05 km/h) on the infamous Honda 500-4, that stood for the next 8 years.[1][7]

In 1968, Honda pulled out of Grand Prix racing, but paid Hailwood £50,000 (equivalent to over £620,000 or US$1.1m at 2006 prices) not to ride for another team, in expectation of keeping him as its rider upon return to competition.[1][8] With no other factory racing teams available to compete against MV Agusta, Hailwood decided to pursue a career in auto racing.

Auto racing career

During his auto racing career, Hailwood never achieved the same level of success that he had on motorcycles. He posted respectable results in Formula One and World Sports Cars. He won the 1972 Formula Two European title and earned a podium finish at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans.[9][10] Hailwood participated in 50 Formula One Grands Prix, debuting in the British Grand Prix on 20 July 1963. He achieved two podium finishes, and scored a total of 29 championship points.[11] Hailwood was recognised for his bravery when in the 1973 South African Grand Prix he went to pull Clay Regazzoni from his burning car after the two collided on the second lap of the race. Hailwood's driving suit caught fire, but after being extinguished by a fire marshall he returned to help rescue Regazzoni, an act for which he was awarded the George Medal, the 2nd highest gallantry award that a British civilian can be awarded.[12] He left Formula One after being injured badly at the 1974 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

Comeback

On June 3, 1978, after an 11 year hiatus from motorcycling, Hailwood performed a now legendary comeback at the Isle of Man TT.[1][2] Few observers believed the 38-year-old would be competitive after such a long absence. Riding a Ducati 900SS, he was not only competitive, but managed a hugely popular win.[7][13][14] He raced the following year at the Isle of Man TT before retiring for good at the age of 39. In that final Isle of Man appearance, Hailwood rode a two-stroke Suzuki RG500 to victory in the Senior TT.[7] He then opted to use that same 500cc bike in the Unlimited Classic and diced for the lead with Alex George (1100cc Honda) for all 6 laps in yet another TT epic. A minute or two apart on the road, they were rarely a few seconds apart on time each lap, Hailwood losing by just 2 seconds.

Here was a rider from the 'old-school' (he was the first to complete all 6 laps of the magnificent yet notorious Mountain Circuit at over 100 mph (160 km/h) on a single cylinder 500cc machine) coming to terms with vastly different machinery after 11 years away - the tyres, frame, brakes and engine power having undergone a quantum leap in capability, even the full-face helmet and brightly coloured padded leathers must have seemed strange - and yet still being able to get as a much from it as any rider around.

Death and legacy

On Saturday, 21 March 1981, Mike Hailwood set off in his Rover SD1 with his children Michelle and David to collect some fish and chips. As they returned along the A435 Alcester Road through Portway Warwickshire near their home in Tanworth-in-Arden, a truck made an illegal turn through the barriers into the central reservation, and their car hit it. Michelle, aged nine, was killed instantly; Mike and David were taken to hospital, where Mike died two days later, aged 40. David survived. The truck driver was fined £100.

Astonishingly, Mike had been told by a fortune teller, at age 18, in South Africa, that he wouldn't live to 40 and would be killed by a truck. This fact was revealed by Elizabeth McCarthy in a 1981 memoir, while recounting her relationship with Mike, whom she had met at the first Canadian GP in 1967. When he asked her hand in marriage, she replied that she was hesitant to marry someone who could die at any weekend race. He then told her his story and said; "..so you see, it won't happen on a track."[15]

An annual "Mike Hailwood Memorial Run" takes place in March every year. The starting point is the former Norton factory in Aston, Birmingham. The run goes out to Portway, where the accident occurred and then onto the church in Tanworth-in-Arden where Mike and Michelle are buried. The 25th anniversary of this tragic accident was in 2006.

He retired with 76 Grand Prix victories, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and 9 World Championships.[4] He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1979.[16] The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2000.[17] He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000 and the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001.[1][18]

Motorcycle Grand Prix results[4][7]

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

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Points Rank Wins
1958 125 cc Paton IOM
7
NED
-
BEL
-
GER
-
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
250 cc NSU IOM
3
NED
4
GER
-
SWE
2
ULS
-
NAT
-
13 4th 0
350 cc Norton IOM
12
NED
5
BEL
-
GER
4
SWE
3
ULS
-
NAT
-
9 6th 0
500 cc Norton IOM
13
NED
-
BEL
-
GER
-
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
1959 125 cc Ducati IOM
3
GER
3
NED
3
BEL
-
SWE
4
ULS
1
NAT
-
20 3rd 1
250 cc Mondial IOM
NC
GER
5
NED
4
SWE
5
ULS
2
NAT
-
13 5th 0
350 cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
NC
GER
-
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
500 cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
NC
GER
-
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
1960 125 cc Ducati IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
6
ULS
-
NAT
-
1 10th 0
250 cc Mondial IOM
NC
NED
5
BEL
4
GER
-
ULS
4
NAT
-
8 5th 0
350 cc AJS FRA
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
0 - 0
500 cc Norton FRA
-
IOM
3
NED
5
BEL
4
GER
-
ULS
-
NAT
3
13 6th 0
1961 125 cc Honda ESP
4
GER
-
FRA
4
IOM
1
NED
NC
BEL
NC
DDR
NC
ULS
5
NAT
-
SWE
-
ARG
-
16 6th 1
250 cc Honda ESP
-
GER
-
FRA
2
IOM
1
NED
1
BEL
3
DDR
1
ULS
2
NAT
2
SWE
1
ARG
-
44 1st 4
350 cc AJS GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
DDR
-
ULS
-
6 8th 0
MV Agusta NAT
2
SWE
-
500 cc Norton GER
4
FRA
2
IOM
1
NED
2
BEL
2
DDR
2
ULS
2
40 2nd 2
MV Agusta NAT
1
SWE
2
ARG
-
1962 125 cc EMC ESP
4
FRA
-
IOM
NC
NED
5
BEL
4
GER
3
ULS
-
DDR
-
NAT
-
FIN
-
ARG
-
12 5th 0
250 cc Benelli ESP
-
FRA
-
IOM
NC
NED
-
BEL
-
GER
-
ULS
-
DDR
-
NAT
-
ARG
-
0 - 0
350 cc MV Agusta IOM
1
NED
2
ULS
-
DDR
2
NAT
-
FIN
-
20 3rd 1
500 cc MV Agusta IOM
12
NED
1
BEL
1
ULS
1
DDR
1
NAT
1
FIN
-
ARG
-
40 1st 5
1963 250 cc MZ ESP
-
GER
-
IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
-
DDR
1
NAT
-
ARG
-
JPN
-
8 8th 1
350 cc MV Agusta GER
-
IOM
NC
NED
2
ULS
2
DDR
1
FIN
1
NAT
-
28 2nd 2
500 cc MV Agusta IOM
1
NED
-
BEL
1
ULS
1
DDR
1
FIN
1
NAT
1
ARG
1
56 1st 7
1964 350 cc MV Agusta IOM
-
NED
2
GER
-
DDR
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
2
12 4th 0
500 cc MV Agusta USA
1
IOM
1
NED
1
BEL
1
GER
1
DDR
1
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
1
40 1st 7
1965 250 cc Honda USA
-
GER
-
ESP
-
FRA
-
IOM
-
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
1
8 10th 1
350 cc MV Agusta GER
2
IOM
NC
NED
2
DDR
-
CZE
-
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
-
JPN
1
20 3rd 1
500 cc MV Agusta USA
1
GER
1
IOM
1
NED
1
BEL
1
DDR
1
CZE
1
ULS
-
FIN
-
NAT
1
48 1st 8
1966 125 cc Honda ESP
-
GER
-
NED
-
DDR
-
CZE
-
FIN
-
ULS
-
IOM
6
NAT
-
JPN
-
1 15th 0
250 cc Honda ESP
1
GER
1
FRA
1
NED
1
BEL
1
DDR
1
CZE
1
FIN
1
ULS
-
IOM
1
NAT
1
JPN
-
56 1st 10
350 cc Honda GER
1
FRA
1
NED
1
BEL
-
CZE
1
FIN
1
ULS
1
IOM
NC
NAT
-
JPN
-
48 1st 6
500 cc Honda GER
-
NED
NC
BEL
NC
DDR
NC
CZE
1
FIN
2
ULS
1
IOM
1
NAT
NC
30 2nd 3
1967 250 cc Honda ESP
NC
GER
NC
FRA
3
IOM
1
NED
1
BEL
2
DDR
NC
CZE
3
FIN
1
ULS
1
NAT
NC
CAN
1
JPN
NC
50 1st 5
350 cc Honda GER
1
IOM
1
NED
1
DDR
1
CZE
1
ULS
-
NAT
-
JPN
1
40 1st 6
500 cc Honda GER
NC
IOM
1
NED
1
BEL
2
DDR
NC
CZE
1
FIN
NC
ULS
1
NAT
2
CAN
1
46 2nd 5

Complete Formula One results[11]

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Pts.
1963 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 24 Climax MON
BEL
NED
FRA
GBR
8
GER
NC 0
Lola Mk4 Climax ITA
10
USA
MEX
RSA
1964 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM MON
6
NED
12
BEL
FRA
8
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
8
ITA
Ret
USA
8
MEX
16
21st 1
1965 Reg Parnell Racing Lotus 25 BRM RSA
MON
Ret
BEL
FRA
GBR
NED
GER
ITA
USA
MEX
NC 0
1971 Team Surtees Surtees TS9 Ford RSA
ESP
MON
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
AUT
ITA
4
CAN
USA
15
18th 3
1972 Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees Surtees TS9B Ford ARG
RSA
Ret
ESP
Ret
MON
Ret
BEL
4
FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
4
ITA
2
CAN
USA
17
8th 13
1973 Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees Surtees TS14A Ford ARG
Ret
BRA
Ret
RSA
Ret
ESP
Ret
BEL
Ret
MON
8
SWE
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
NED
Ret
GER
14
AUT
10
ITA
7
CAN
9
USA
Ret
NC 0
1974 Yardley Team McLaren McLaren M23 Ford ARG
4
BRA
5
RSA
3
ESP
9
BEL
7
MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
NED
4
FRA
7
GBR
Ret
GER
15
AUT
ITA
CAN
USA
11th 12

Footnotes

Sources

  • 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix (1st edition). Hazelton Publishing Ltd, 1999. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  • Oxford Dictionary of National Biography

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Gary Hocking
500cc Motorcycle World Champion
1962–1965
Succeeded by
Giacomo Agostini
Preceded by
Ronnie Peterson
European Formula Two
Champion

1972
Succeeded by
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Preceded by
Phil Read
TT Formula One World Champion
1978
Succeeded by
Ron Haslam

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