Umberto Masetti

Last updated
Umberto Masetti
Umberto Masetti (1952).jpg
Umberto Masetti in 1952
Nationality Flag of Italy.svg Italian
Born(1926-05-04)4 May 1926
Borgo delle Rose, Province of Parma, Italy
Died28 May 2006(2006-05-28) (aged 80)
Maranello, Italy
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years 19491958
First race 1949 125cc Swiss Grand Prix
Last race 1958 500cc Nations Grand Prix
First win 1950 500cc Belgian Grand Prix
Last win 1955 500cc Nations Grand Prix
Team(s) Benelli, Morini, Gilera, MV Agusta
Championships 500cc – 1950, 1952
StartsWinsPodiums Poles F. laps Points
31621N/A1

Umberto Masetti (4 May 1926 – 28 May 2006) was an Italian professional motorcycle road racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1949 to 1958, most prominently as a member of the Gilera factory racing team where he won the 1950 and 1952 500cc world championships. Masetti was the first Italian to win the 500cc World Championship. [1]

Contents

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:

Position12345Fastest lap
Points1087651

Points system from 1950 to 1968:

Position123456
Points864321

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

YearClassTeam123456789PointsRankWins
1949 125cc Moto Morini SUI
5
NED
-
NAT
2
133rd0
250cc Benelli IOM
-
SUI
-
ULS
-
NAT
3
710th0
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
213rd1
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
-
115th0
1954 500cc Gilera FRA
-
IOM
-
ULS
-
BEL
-
NED
-
GER
-
SUI
-
NAT
2
ESP
-
610th0
1955 250cc MV Agusta IOM
-
GER
-
NED
2
ULS
3
NAT
6
115th0
500cc MV Agusta ESP
3
FRA
4
IOM
-
GER
-
BEL
-
NED
3
ULS
-
NAT
1
193rd1
1956 350cc MV Agusta IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
5
GER
-
ULS
-
NAT
8
214th0
500cc MV Agusta IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
4
GER
2
ULS
-
NAT
-
96th0
1957 350cc MV Agusta GER
4
IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
-
NAT
-
310th0
500cc MV Agusta GER
-
IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
ULS
-
NAT
5
215th0
1958 500cc MV Agusta IOM
-
NED
-
BEL
-
GER
-
SWE
-
ULS
-
NAT
3
413th0

References

  1. "Umberto Masetti career statistics at MotoGP.com". Archived from the original on 2019-06-19. Retrieved 2008-09-05.