Mike Hailwood

Mike Hailwood (Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, 2 April 1940 to 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, nicknamed "the Bike". He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1967 and in Formula One between 1963 and 1974, and is one of the few men to compete at Grand Prix level in both motorcycle and car racing. He was a nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, with four titles in the premier 500cc class with MV Agusta, and won 76 motorcycle Grands Prix across 10 seasons. His early rivalry with Giacomo Agostini dominated the 1960s and culminated in their dramatic duel for the 1967 World Championship. Hailwood took 14 victories at the Isle of Man TT and, after moving to car racing, returned to motorcycles at the age of 38 to win the 1978 Isle of Man TT. He died in 1981 following a road traffic collision in Warwickshire, England.