Englishman Mike Hailwood won nine World titles across three different classes during the 1960s and took victory 14 times in the Isle of Man TT, including two remarkable wins at the end of the ‘70s after coming out of retirement following an 11-year absence from the competition.
Nicknamed Mike-the-Bike, Hailwood won 76 Grands Prix (37 in 500cc, 16 in 350cc, 21 in 250cc and two in 125cc) during a ten year World Championship career which commenced in 1958. In his first Grand Prix season, as a teenager, he tried his hand in three different classes (500cc, 350cc and 250cc) picking up three podiums along the way.
Having already won several domestic British championships and a South African national title by the age of 19, in 1959 he became the youngest rider to have won a Grand Prix at that time - as he rode a 125cc Ducati to victory in Ireland.
He continued his progression in 1960 on Mondial and Norton machinery, and the following year earned his first World title as he triumphed in the 250cc class on a Honda. Meanwhile, ’61 also saw the start of a highly successful period for Hailwood with MV Agusta with whom he finish runner-up in the 500cc category.
In 1962 he won the first of four consecutive premier class titles with the Italian marque, incredibly winning every race he participated in on 500cc machinery from ’62-’65. Following his return to Honda in 1966 he took double World Championship glory (in 250cc and 350cc) that year and the following season, as he was undefeated for two years in the two categories before leaving the Grand Prix scene.
Hailwood’s 1967 Isle of Man TT win over youngster and archrival Giacomo Agostini – who had replaced him at MV Agusta in 1966 and promptly taken his 500cc crown - came in one of the best contests in the history of racing on the island and was his 12th victory in the world famous event.
Hailwood went on to become a respected driver in Formula One, but a horrifying 1974 crash in Germany saw him retire from four-wheel competition due to a badly broken right leg.
Defying all odds the English hero returned to the Isle of Man TT in 1978, winning the F1 category on a Ducati 900SS, to trigger ecstatic scenes, before coming back to ride to his 14th and final TT win on a Suzuki the next year.
Hailwood tragically passed away following a road accident in March 1981.