Umberto Masetti

Umberto Masetti (4 May 1926 - 28 May 2006) was an Italian two-time World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1950, he became the first Italian to win the 500cc World Championship.^[1]

Career

Masetti was born in Borgo delle Rose, in the province of Parma.

He debuted in the Grand Prix motorcycle World Championship in 1949 aboard a Moto Morini, in the 125cc class. In the same year he also raced a Benelli in the 250cc class and a Gilera in the 500cc class.

In 1950, Masetti won the Grands Prix of Belgium and the Netherlands and defeated Geoff Duke for the 500cc World Championship. In 1952, still with Gilera, he was again World Champion, again taking victories in Belgium and the Netherlands.

In 1953 he raced in the 250cc class for NSU, but an accident at Imola prevented him from taking part for much of the season. In 1954 Masetti was again in the 500cc class with Gilera. In 1955 he divided his time between the 250cc and 500cc classes, this time for the MV Agusta factory, with whom he raced for until 1958. That year, after an unsuccessful season in the 500cc class, he retired from motorcycle competition.

Masetti then lived in Maranello, where he died in 2006.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

1949 point system:

Position	1	2	3	4	5	Fastest lap
Points	10	8	7	6	5	1

Points system from 1950 to 1968:

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

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Points	Rank	Wins
1949	125cc	Moto Morini		SUI 5	NED -		NAT 2					13	3rd	0
1949	250cc	Benelli	IOM -	SUI -		ULS -	NAT 3					7	10th	0
1950	500cc	Gilera	IOM -	BEL 1	NED 1	SUI 2	ULS 6	NAT 2				28	1st	2
1951	500cc	Gilera	ESP 1	SUI 4	IOM -	BEL -	NED -	FRA -	ULS 3	NAT 2		21	3rd	1
1952	500cc	Gilera	SUI -	IOM -	NED 1	BEL 1	GER -	ULS -	NAT 2	ESP 2		28	1st	2
1953	250cc	NSU	IOM -	NED -	GER -	ULS -	SUI -	NAT 6	ESP -			1	15th	0
1954	500cc	Gilera	FRA -	IOM -	ULS -	BEL -	NED -	GER -	SUI -	NAT 2	ESP -	6	10th	0
1955	250cc	MV Agusta			IOM -	GER -		NED 2	ULS 3	NAT 6		11	5th	0
1955	500cc	MV Agusta	ESP 3	FRA 4	IOM -	GER -	BEL -	NED 3	ULS -	NAT 1		19	3rd	1
1956	350cc	MV Agusta	IOM -	NED -	BEL 5	GER -	ULS -	NAT 8				2	14th	0
1956	500cc	MV Agusta	IOM -	NED -	BEL 4	GER 2	ULS -	NAT -				9	6th	0
1957	350cc	MV Agusta	GER 4	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	NAT -				3	10th	0
1957	500cc	MV Agusta	GER -	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	ULS -	NAT 5				2	15th	0
1958	500cc	MV Agusta	IOM -	NED -	BEL -	GER -	SWE -	ULS -	NAT 3			4	13th	0

References

↑ Umberto Masetti career statistics at MotoGP.com

Preceded by Leslie Graham	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1950	Succeeded by Geoff Duke
Preceded by Geoff Duke	500cc Motorcycle World Champion 1952	Succeeded by Geoff Duke

500cc/MotoGP Motorcycle World Champions

1949 – L. Graham

1950 – U. Masetti
1951 – G. Duke
1952 – U. Masetti
1953 – G. Duke
1954 – G. Duke
1955 – G. Duke
1956 – J. Surtees
1957 – L. Liberati
1958 – J. Surtees
1959 – J. Surtees

1960 – J. Surtees
1961 – G. Hocking
1962 – M. Hailwood
1963 – M. Hailwood
1964 – M. Hailwood
1965 – M. Hailwood
1966 – G. Agostini
1967 – G. Agostini
1968 – G. Agostini
1969 – G. Agostini

1970 – G. Agostini
1971 – G. Agostini
1972 – G. Agostini
1973 – P. Read
1974 – P. Read
1975 – G. Agostini
1976 – B. Sheene
1977 – B. Sheene
1978 – K. Roberts
1979 – K. Roberts

1980 – K. Roberts
1981 – M. Lucchinelli
1982 – F. Uncini
1983 – F. Spencer
1984 – E. Lawson
1985 – F. Spencer
1986 – E. Lawson
1987 – W. Gardner
1988 – E. Lawson
1989 – E. Lawson

1990 – W. Rainey
1991 – W. Rainey
1992 – W. Rainey
1993 – K. Schwantz
1994 – M. Doohan
1995 – M. Doohan
1996 – M. Doohan
1997 – M. Doohan
1998 – M. Doohan
1999 – À. Crivillé

2000 – K. Roberts, Jr.
2001 – V. Rossi
2002 – V. Rossi
2003 – V. Rossi
2004 – V. Rossi
2005 – V. Rossi
2006 – N. Hayden
2007 – C. Stoner
2008 – V. Rossi
2009 – V. Rossi

2010 – J. Lorenzo
2011 – C. Stoner
2012 – J. Lorenzo
2013 – M. Márquez

Persondata
Name	Masetti, Umberto
Alternative names
Short description	Italian motorcycle racer
Date of birth	4 May 1926
Place of birth
Date of death	28 May 2006
Place of death

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