Graham Hill in the #8 BRM P261,  Monaco Grand Prix 1964

Fan submitted image.

Photo of the day: Graham Hill and Monaco 1964 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Now well into its second season, McLaren have begun using their highly successful online series “Tooned” to showcase the long and colourful history of the brands involvement in motor sport. The latest episode just landed, and it’s a cracker!

Rewinding the clock back to the early 1970s in order to tell the tale of Emerson Fittipladi and his overall World Championship victory, Episode 3 of the second season sees McLaren keep their tongue firmly in cheek for the story of “the man, the mouse, the wolf”.

Video: Tooned 50 – Emerson Fittipaldi story is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

To celebrate the release of Ron Howard’s RUSH, Motorsport Retro and Hoyts are giving away 50 double passes to an exclusive preview screening of the movie.

Set to tell the story of James Hunt and Niki Lauda like never before, the highly anticipated RUSH won’t open in Australian cinemas until the 3rd of October. A lucky selection of Motorsport Retro fans won’t have to wait quite so long, with 50 double passes to an exclusive preview screening up for grabs in our latest competition.

Held on the evening of the 30th of September in Sydney, Australia, winners will be responsible for their own travel to the screening. Unfortunately we’re not yet friendly enough with Universal Pictures to secure a screening at every major city in the world, so we ask that our international friends forgive us for limiting this competition for local entrants only.

Click here to enter! 

Win tickets to an exclusive Motorsport Retro pre-screening of RUSH! is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Image: The Cahier Archive

“He was like Clark Kent, you know, in the phone box. Put him in a Formula 1 car and he had a competitiveness beyond anything I’ve ever seen.” - Nigel Roebuck

Editor-in-chief of Motorsport Magazine, Nigel Roebuck, sits down to give his honest thoughts about Gilles Villeneuve, set to an interview the pair conducted before the 1978 Belgian Grand Prix and classic footage of the racer.

It’s honest, interesting and moving. They cover the man; his fearlessness, love of speed, presence on the road, their friendship, his thoughts on the team and more. Grab a beverage and enjoy it.

Image by The Cahier Archive

Buy prints from just $49

Video: Echoes of Gilles Villeneuve with Nigel Roebuck is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Gilles Villeneuve at the 1981 Monaco Grand Prix
Ferrari 126CK

Image: Coolamundo!

Photo of the day: Gilles Villeneuve and Ferrari, Monaco 1981 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

McLaren are celebrating their 50th birthday this week, making it a great time to take stock of the seven McLaren drivers who have held onto victory at the end of a Formula 1 World Championship series.

1. Emerson Fittipaldi – 1974 – McLaren Ford M23

2. James Hunt – 1976 – McLaren Ford M23

 3. Niki Lauda – 1984 – McLaren TAG MP4/2 

4. Alain Prost – 1985 (McLaren TAG MP4/2) – 1986 (McLaren TAG MP4/2B) – 1989 (McLaren Honda MP4/5) 

5. Ayrton Senna – 1988 (McLaren Honda MP4/4) – 1990 (McLaren Honda MP4/5B) – 1991 (McLaren Honda MP4/6) 

6. Mika Häkkinen - 1998 (McLaren Mercedes MP4/13) – 1999 (McLaren Mercedes MP4/14)

7. Lewis Hamilton – 2008 – (McLaren Mercedes MP4/23)

Images: The Cahier Archive 

50 Years of McLaren – Tale of seven champions is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Fitting snuggly in between Lotus’ Type 27 – a Formula Junior version of the Formula 1 Type 25 – and the Indy 500-destined Type 29, the Lotus-Cortina arrived during a golden age of Chapman-designed motorsport success.

Installing Chapman’s “add lightness” mantra to a mass production Ford wasn’t easy, but the most rewarding things usually aren’t, so the Lotus-Cortina would go on to become not only a branding success, but a true classic.

Head to the Shannons Club for the Lotus-Cortina Mk 1’s story, and to learn about why the extraordinary came at a cost.

Image via the Shannons Club

Via the Shannons Club

Lotus-Cortina Mk I: The Extraordinary Came at a Cost is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

With the Formula 1 World Championship making its way to Circuit of Monza this weekend, it’s time to reflect on ten of the wildest moments the Italian venue has witnessed. Shocking, jaw-dropping, inspiring, terrifying, and at times sombre –  these events are now part of the landscape that make up the iconic Monza Grand Prix.

1. Peter Gethin’s victory – 1971

The title says it all – Peter Gethin scores his first win in 1971 following the conclusion of an unforgettable slip streaming duel which saw the first five drivers finish within a whisker over a half-second spread.

2. McLaren clean sweep denied – 1988 – Schlesser and Senna collide

25 years later this may still be a sore point at McLaren, with Schlesser and Senna coming together in an incident which saw the GP victory slip through Ayrton’s hands, and a clean sweep of the 1988 World Championship denied from McLaren.

3.  Second victory for Honda – 1967 – John Surtees

Excitable Japanese narration makes for the perfect soundtrack with which to watch John Surtees secure Hondas second all time win in 1967. The event marked the debut of the 3L, V12 Honda RA300, making Surtees’ victory all the more impressive.

4. Christian Fittipaldi flips ( and finishes 8th!) – 1993

In 1993 Monza played host to one of the most spectacular finishes in motor racing history, when Minardi-Ford team mates Christian Fittipaldi and Pierluigi Martini clipped corners and Fittipaldi ended up performing a perfect backflip before landing on all four wheels and sliding across the finish line before screeching to a halt. The incident saw no positions lost or gained for either driver, and (unsurprisingly) has never been repeated.

5. Derek Warwick – roll and restart – 1990

Three years earlier Derek Warwick wasn’t so lucky, spearing off the course and balancing his Lotus 102 up on its side at the Parabolica before rotating ceremoniously into the exit of the corner. The excitement didn’t end there, as the unhurt Warwick dismounted from the wreck and sprinted through the pits in order to get behind the wheel of a spare car in time for the race restart.

6. Ronnie Peterson crash and subsequent death – 1978

Memorable for all the wrong reasons, accidents such as this one involving Ronnie Peterson in 1978 are important to recognise – for it were the dangers of early motor sport that elevated competitors to heroic status. Peterson survived the accident itself, however lost his life to complications experienced in hospital shortly following. In total, 52 Formula 1 drivers have lost their lives at Monza.

7. Jochen Rindt crash and death – 1970

 The inescapable silence of this clip gives it and almost unbearably eerie overtone, which is fitting given that it depicts the accident in practice in which Rindt lost his life.

8.  The return of Niki Lauda following Nurburgring crash – 1976

Few videos capture the heroics of Niki Lauda in the same way that this clip from 1976 does. Following a fiery crash at Nurburgring in which Lauda suffered serious injuries, in this video we see him preparing to return to racing at Monza just six weeks later. If only you could cut tension with a knife…

9.  Rubens sets Monza lap record – 2004

One of the great on-board F1 cams, and a fantastic way to familiarise yourself with the Monza circuit before the coming race weekend. Watch as Formula 1 legend Rubens Barrichello sets the lap record in 2004.

 10.  Moss wins for Vanwall – 1957

The final of our ten videos is also the oldest – drawn from the initial decade of the Formula 1 World Championship, the video depicts Sterling Moss taking the win on behalf of Vanwall. We can think of no better way to give this weekends festivities some context, than to view the Monza venue under racing conditions more than 55 years ago.

Top 10 most memorable Monza moments caught on film is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Love ‘em or loathe ‘em, Firestone Deluxe Champions are certainly making waves within the the motorcycle community. Dividing opinions whenever mentioned, when it comes to drawing attention and raising discussion, Deluxe Champions are a tyre without equal. This incredible burst of popularity has cumulated with the release of Deluxe Champion themed iPhone cases.

Featuring high quality construction and an impressive level of detail, we think they’re a very cool thing.

Priced at around $20, we can think of plenty of reasons to consider this new release. Maybe you’re a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, or maybe you’re into mobile phones and don’t fancy breaking yours next time you fumble, or perhaps you just think in a world full of boring or tacky protective cases, one that’s styled to look and feel like any kind of tyre is pretty cool.

Available now for iPhone 4/4s and 5 from 100mph.

Firestone Deluxe Champion iPhone case now available! is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Always a spectacle, the Monza Grand Prix has played host to some incredible racing over the years. Today, we take a video tour of one of our favourites – the 1956 Italian GP.

Memorable from start to finish, the ’56 Monza GP kicked off in a confusing fashion due to technical difficulties with the timing equipment – imagine the uproar if that happened today! The race went on to include all of the ingredients which made retro Formula 1 racing such an unpredictable and entertaining sport to watch; ill-conceived racing tactics, high profile duels, spectacular crashes and of course, that incredible mix of raw driving talent and gentlemanly behaviour which is so sorely missed today.

Highlights included Musso and Castellotti breaking away from the rest of the pack in the early laps, pitting themselves against each other in such aggressive fashion that their tyres were soon spoiled. Fangio, Moss, Collins and Schell sailed past as the pair of Ferraris were forced to pit, signalling the commencement of a battle which would determine the winner of the race.

Watching the field scream around the long forgotten banks of Monza against the thunder of engines such as the 2.5L Maserati six of Stirling Moss is an experience in itself, however it’s scenes such as race leader Collins handing the wheel over to budding champion Fangio following the retirement of his own car with a broken steering arm which really set this Grand Prix aside from the pack. Moss went on to win the race despite running out of fuel with just 5 laps remaining, thanking his team mate Piotti for taking the time to slow down to push him back to the pits for a top-up.  

Image: The Cahier Archive

Video: Monza 1956 Highlights is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Photo of the day: Honda RVF 750 as ridden by Patrick Igoa and Gerard Coudray
Image: Automotive Illustrations

Photo of the day: Honda RVF cutaway is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Juan Manuel Fangio on his way to winning the 1957 French GP by close to a full minute. Fangio won four GPs in ’57 and took the overall points championship victory for the year.
Image: The Cahier Archive

Photo of the day: Fangio in France, 1957 is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Formula 1 is about being fast, and being fast is about having grip. For the most part, Formula 1 engineers and drivers work pretty well together in order to maintain traction when and where it counts. There come times however when things don’t go entirely to plan, – these 12 photos are the result.

12. Jean Pierre Beltoise with a little ‘right hand down’ leading Jack Brabham during the 1970 Spanish GP.

11. Brabham had his turn at hanging the tail out for the camera four years earlier, in Holland.

10. Jenson Button feeling his way through a touch of liquid horsepower during the Brazilian GP of 2003.

9. Peter Collins on the edge of control at Silverstone in 1958, a race which he went on to win.

8. Three years later the No.1 Ferrari was being driven in a similar, sideways fashion by Phil Hill in the 1961 Dutch GP. Hill was runner-up by less than one second.

7. Jacky Ickx peeking to the left as he roars through a right hander in Sweden, 1973.

6. Niki Lauda dialling out the opposite lock on exit in Spain, 1976.

5. Nelson Piquet showing some aggressive pre-corner preparation back in 1983, Monaco.

4. Tom Pryce placed fourth in the ’76 Dutch Grand Prix, here you can see him carefully coercing the front wheels straight at the conclusion of an unexpected slide – we expect full throttle would have been applied just moments later.

3. Those ripple strips can be slippery! We love Schumacher’s head tilt, Imola in 1998.

2. This shot of John Surtees taken at the 1967 Mexican GP is one of our favourites. Not only does the rushed framing capture the sense of urgency felt by both driver and photographer at the time, but the four-knuckle grip on the top of the steering wheel and stark look of absolute concentration laments the steering precision that times like these demand of man and machine.

1. Easily the most dramatic photograph of the lot – this stunning shot was taken in 1975, Sweden. The No.3 car was the Tyrrell Ford of Jody Scheckter, seen here visiting the outer most limits of steering correction.

Images: The Cahier Archive

Sideways Formula 1 cars – 12 incredible photos is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

With a glorious example of the Maserati Birdcage going under the hammer this week in London, it’s time to remind ourselves what exactly makes this half-century old Le Mans classic worth every penny of its £2.5m price tag.

No.1: It’s a 200-bar love song

Known officially as a Maserati Tipo 61, this particular example is Chassis #2464, built in 1960 for the purpose of races such as the Le Mans 24 hour.  Easily the most famous endurance venue on the planet, Le Mans can be credited with responsibility for some of the most impressive racing cars history has ever seen. This comes as no surprise when you consider the punishment that endurance vehicles have to be built to withstand. A brief like “let’s race flat-out from now until this time tomorrow” was always going to result in some pretty heavy duty engineering, and in that regard this car demonstrates every last bit of what 1960 had to offer.

In the Tipo 61′s case, this engineering came in the form of an entirely chromoly tubular chassis, painstakingly tig-welded from scratch using around 200 bars in total. One look at the structure immediately silences any questions regarding from where the name ‘Birdcage’ was drawn.

No.2: It’s been there, and done that

Build number 2464 wasn’t a back-of-the-trailer or on-the-bench special. This car was one of five Maserati Birdcages run by the Camoradi team. Not only that, it competed in the 1960 24 hours of Le Mans, and managed to finish 5th at the Nürburgring 1000 km of the same year, which was also the year in which its sister car won the event at the hands of Moss and Gurney. Equipped with the paper work to prove it, this car is set to tickle your inner racing historian in all the right places.

No.3: It’s been fixed

Such is the nature of motor sport, history tells us that Tipo 61 Chassis number 2464 ended up having its original four cylinder engine swapped out and a succession of Ford and Chevrolet V8 engines installed as later owners chased increased performance. As you can tell, these modifications have since been reversed and an original, refreshed 2.9L engine installed. The improvements don’t end there, with the entire chassis having been faithfully recreated in order to undo the ills that follow decades of competitive racing. RM Auctions tell us that the car will come alongside the original, intact chassis.

No.4: It won’t break (maybe) 

The 24 hours of Le Mans is a race of attrition, with drivers slowly chipping away at each other until the body and mind of one reigns supreme over the others. Competing cars have to be built to run at absolute maximum speed, with maximum cornering ability, chasing the little hand around the clock during one of the most brutal sporting events this side of the Colosseum. To put it frankly, despite the Tipo 61 not being historically one of the most reliable endurance racers ever built, it was certainly built to withstand more than any of us could throw at it. Spending 2 1/2 million pounds might not be the cheapest way to go about things, but if you’re looking for a vintage racer that’ll drive back onto the trailer at the end of an event, an ex-Le Mans endurance car is a pretty good bet.

No.5: It’s lucky (maybe) 

The first Tipo 61 built was chassis number 2453, making this the lucky number twelve of its kind. Maserati went on to build sixteen 61s in total before moving to the mid-engined Tipo 63. Essentially, this is one of the Birdcages you want.

No.6: It’s still a performer (definitely)

When you boil it all down, what you’re looking at with the Maserati Tipo 61 is an incredibly rigid chassis fitted with a seriously cranky Italian four-pot. It’s twin cam, twin carb, uses four wheel discs and runs a 5 speed with a transaxle. They generated 250hp from factory, and this one comes with the dynometer paperwork to prove that this is still the case. Given the lightweight nature of its chromoly construction, it’s easy to join the dots and imagine the kind of lively drive that this Birdcage would deliver.

Images: RM Auctions 

Auction: 6 reasons why this old Maserati is worth £2.5m is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Monza has played witness to some of the most terrific finishes in Formula 1 history; alongside that of 1967, 1970 and of course, the 1971 which we ran in our Monza Moments piece last week, there’s this caught-on-camera gem from 1969.

A textbook example of racing brilliance, the video depicts Jackie Stewart waiting patiently in slipstream before shooting around the outside and snatching victory in what is commonly referred to as the closest 1,2,3,4 finish Formula 1 has ever seen.

It’s rumoured that Stewart specifically specified that his Matra MS80 be fitted with a top gear ratio that would allow him to exit the Parabolica and cross the finish line without upshifting – saving the fractions of a moment required to slingshot past Rindt and the pack to win the race.

Video: 1969 Italian GP – The closest F1 finish ever? is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

The 2013 Goodwood Revival is set to be held this weekend, and we’re starting to feel the itch here at Motorsport Retro. The itch that is, to delve into the depths of the internet in order to paw over and retrieve our eight favourite videos from past events.

8. Jochen Mass rolls a Lancia Ferrari D50 

When this shocking video surfaced following the 2008 event, many viewers assumed that the driver must surely have been killed or at least seriously injured. The truth was that Jochen Mass walked away with little more than cuts and bruises, perhaps a testament to the safety of the Italian classic? (Or perhaps not!).

7. Drifting Jag!

Big speed, little tyres, hard driving. The right quantities of all the things we love most about competitive retro racing come together in this short, sweet clip of one big, sideways ’59 MK1 Cat.

6. The near-miss to end them all

Don’t let the name of the clip fool you – no vehicles actually appear to have been harmed in the making of this film. It is however, one of the closest calls we’ve come across at a Goodwood event – we’re betting there were some shaky hands in the minutes following this spectacular loss!

5. The near-miss to end them all #2

If this one wasn’t caught on camera, chances are none would believe it!

4. Ankle-tap

Featuring a spectacular rollover, this video allows you to fully appreciate the onset of the moment described by racers as ‘no return’, as well as the possible demise of a nice little Austin A35.

3. Million-dollar makeover

Filmed just last year, this one will hurt doubly as much for those who read our articles about the millions of dollars that a Maserati Birdcage can command. Driven by Joe Colasacco, the unbelievably rare Tipo 151 is a top tier collectable – a fact which makes watching the car rotate almost gracefully across the grass and into the beckoning barrier even harder to bear. Accidents involving wet grass often appear almost hypnotically slow, right up until the moment when metal meets rubber.

2. 2007 – The year of the anarchy

In what can only be described as utter chaos, this clip demonstrates the vintage racing equivalent of dominos as an oil-down by one driver unhinges not one, but 5 of his competitors!

1. Mini-Madness!

If you can watch this clip without cracking a smile at the sight of what can only described as Mini-madness, then something’s not quite right. With the entire five-minute race on offer and featuring both running commentary and in-car cuts, this is one of the most entertaining Goodwood clips yet!

Video: Anticipating the Revival: 8 wild Goodwood moments is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Raw, uncompromising, brutal, pure. These words and more spring to mind when asked to describe the era of rally from which cars such as the Lancia Delta Evoluziones were born. This clip takes us back to the glory days of these terrifying machines, with a primary focus on the wail of their extensively developed, turbocharged engines. It’s fitting then that this video lacks any intrusive music or overambitious editing, because it could only have served to detract from the sheer intensity of watching some of the greatest off-road racing machines of our time tear-flat out through a selection of their natural habitats.

This video runs for a full fifteen minutes – because a lifetime spent listening to the sounds of classic rally still wouldn’t be long enough.

Video: Pure engine sounds – Lancia Delta Evoluzione is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

There’s something mesmerising about Formula 1 engines, something beyond the timeless beauty of aluminium, titanium and carbon fibre. As if like a time-capsule of engineering, whilst staring at these engines you are peering into the best automotive mechanical work that the human race was capable of at that time.

For many, Ferrari engines in particular hold a degree of indescribable attraction – particularly those driven by Michael Schumacher, who won the World Championship on behalf of the Italian marque five consecutive times. Many sources conflict regarding the details of various Formula 1 engines such as how much power they ultimately produced, however one thing is certain – Ferrari picked it’s engine game up in the year 2000, and spent the next half of a decade perfecting a modern V10 marvel. Today, we take a look at four of the five Ferrari engines which Schumacher drove to victory.

2000 – The Ferrari Tipo 049 engine was fitted to the F1-2000 chassis, featured 10 cylinders in a 90 degree V configuration and originally generated 770hp from it’s 2997cc capacity whilst revving to 18,000rpm. The largest difference between the 049 and it’s predecessor was the wide angle of it’s layout, which had previously been 80 degrees. This gave the the car a lower centre of gravity and greater aerodynamics, helping it to become more competitive.

2001 – The year following saw Ferrari move to the imaginatively titled F-2001 chassis, which was teamed with the Tipo 050 engine. Pushing final power output to between 800 and 835hp, the 050 engine featured a more aggressive collector angle, and was said to have given Schumacher an additional 500rpm for 18,500 in total.

2003 – By 2003 Ferrari had moved to the 052 engine and F-2003GA chasis, which retained the ongoing 90-degree V10 arrangement however was now several kilograms lighter than the 049 used in 2000. The 052 was said to generate as much as 930hp utilising a full 19,000rpm, with some sourcing indicating as high as 19,500rpm. Schumacher squeezed every last bit of juice from the 052 to snatch the championship victory from Kimi by just 2 points.

2004 – Schumacher’s most recent Formula 1 World Championship victory came the next year, behind the wheel of the 053-powered F-2004. The engine was said to have brought power back down to between 855 and 880hp, perhaps as a result of the FIAs call that the engines had to be designed to last for the length of an entire racing weekend. Ferrari found a strong balance of power and reliability that assisted Schumacher in soaring to victory by a full 34 points ahead of second placed Barrichello.

Images: http://www.egarage.com/

Gallery: Schumacher’s World Championship winning F1 engines is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Illustrations by Paul Laguette

I have a soft spot in my heart for the motorsport aesthetics of the ’70s. The cars were getting bigger, faster and more bombastic, while the liveries, promotion and branding maintained an understated cool.

And F1 drivers wore their helmets with pride, refining and evolving a design over the course of their career rather than swapping it up seemingly between practice, qualifying and the race.

These helmets, by illustrator Paul Laguette, focus on the Formula 1 helmets of the ’70s, illustrating the artwork in Mario Andretti, François Cevert, Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Jody Scheckter, Niki Lauda, Nelson Piquet and Jo Siffert’s Formula 1 helmets.

Illustrations by Paul Laguette

Illustrations: 1970s Formula 1 Helmets is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.

Suzuki has delighted fans (and likely frightened rivals) by announcing that it will return to MotoGP in 2015.  The Japanese company withdrew from the sport in 2011, citing the onset of the global financial crisis for its decision to stop racing. With six championships under its belt, Suzuki has long been a formidable force in MotoGP. Onlookers will be watching closely to see whether they can repeat their previous success in 2015.

For now, let’s take a look back at those championships and the drivers who won them.

1976: Barry Sheene

1976 was a good year for Suzuki. Not only did they win the championship with British rider Barry Sheene, they took out 11 of the top 12 final positions. Riding Suzuki’s RG500, the then 26-year-old rider recovered from a disastrous collarbone injury the previous year to win 11 GPs. 1976 also marked the year MotoGP agreed to take the Isle of Man off the calendar after years of protest from riders such as Giacomo Agostini, who had long held the opinion that the track was too dangerous.

1977: Barry Sheene

And then he did it again – only faster. The British rider hit average speeds of 213.37 km/h to win the Belgian GP at Spa-Francorchamps. To put that in perspective, an average speed for a MotoGP event at the time would have been around 175km/h. 1977 saw Yamaha bikes begin to filter though the winners circle, however the year remained an overall success for Suzuki.

1981: Marco Lucchinelli

1981 was a 1-2 year for Suzuki, with Italian rider Marco Lucchinelli going head to head with Randy Mamola for the length of the season, pushing through to the final round where he managed to snatch victory, and claim the overall points championship. Known by his nickname ‘Crazy Horse’ as a result of his wild approach to racing, Lucchinelli rode the new RG500 to a full five victories on behalf of the Roberto Gallina backed team in 1981, including the prestigious San Marino Gran Prix.

1982: Franco Uncini

At the conclusion of the 1981 season Lucchinelli decide that he’d end his time with Suzuki on a high and move to Honda, this opened a spot at the Roberto Gallina team which was ultimately offered to Franco Uncini. After a number of slow years, Uncini welcomes the opportunity to ride a highly competitive, factory backed bike and went on to take out five GP wins in 1982, as well as the championship. Uncini’s victory was the last Italian riders would see for almost two decades.

1993: Kevin Schwantz

1993 saw Texan Kevin Schwantz win 4 races, claim three runner-up slots and take home the championship aboard Suzuki’s RGV500 in the year would mark the end of American dominance in the MotoGP. Many will remember Schwantz’s 1993 MotoGP victory as having been marred by the tragic accident of rival American rider Waine Rainey, who was paralysed after falling whilst in the lead at the Italian Grand Prix.

2000: Kenny Roberts Jr.

When Kenny Roberts Jr. won Suzuki’s most recent MotoGP title in 2000, he became the younger half of the only father and son duo to have ever won a 500cc World Championship each. Roberts took four race wins and 9 podiums in 2000, blitzing his closest challenger (a young Valentino Rossi) by nearly 50 points. The following season saw the two-stroke, 500cc machines bow out of contention and into the history books, along with Suzuki’s final MotoGP Championship victory.

For 2015 the history book has been re-opened and the pen has been inked – Suzuki is back.

Retrospective: Suzuki in MotoGP is a post from Motorsport Retro, bringing you classic motorsport, cars, motorcycles and gear every day.