Umberto Masetti

Umberto Masetti

Umberto Masetti
Nationality Italian
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1949 - 1958
First race1949 125cc Swiss Grand Prix
Last race1958 500cc Nations Grand Prix
First win1950 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
Last win1955 500cc Nations Grand Prix
Team(s)Benelli, Morini, Gilera, MV Agusta
Championships500cc - 1950, 1952
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
31 6 21 N/A N/A

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
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
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
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
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


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
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