Mike Hailwood

Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood MBE, GM (2 April 1940 - 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle racer who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1967 and Formula One from 1963 to 1974, widely regarded as one of the greatest motorcycle racers in history whose extraordinary two-wheeled success overshadowed a respectable but less distinguished four-wheel career, and whose life ended tragically in a road traffic accident just months after performing an act of heroism that earned him Britain's highest civilian honor for bravery. Born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, on 2 April 1940, Hailwood grew up in a motorsport-oriented family—his father Leslie was a successful motorcycle dealer and racing enthusiast who purchased a garage near the legendary Brooklands circuit in Farnham, Surrey, immersing young Mike in racing culture from childhood.

Nicknamed "Mike the Bike," Hailwood achieved legendary status in motorcycle Grand Prix racing, winning a remarkable nine World Championships across three different engine capacities: four titles in the premier 500cc class (1962-1965) riding for MV Agusta, three in 350cc (1966-1967), and two in 250cc (1961, 1966-1967). He won 76 motorcycle Grands Prix and claimed 14 victories at the Isle of Man TT, including an unprecedented feat in June 1961 when he became the first rider in TT history to win three races in one week, taking victories in the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc categories. His smooth, precise riding style and exceptional versatility across different bike classes established him as the dominant motorcycle racer of the 1960s.

While still competing in motorcycle racing, Hailwood made his Formula One debut at the 1963 British Grand Prix on 20 July 1963, beginning a parallel four-wheel career that would span 11 years across two distinct periods. His early Formula One phase (1963-1965) saw him compete for various teams including Lotus, Reg Parnell Racing, and BRM, achieving two podium finishes and scoring 29 championship points while learning his craft in cars. During this period, he also competed successfully in sports car racing, earning a podium finish at the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans. After focusing exclusively on motorcycles through the late 1960s, Hailwood made a dramatic Formula One comeback for the 1971 season with Surtees, where he remained through 1973, scoring regular points finishes that demonstrated his enduring four-wheel talent.

His finest Formula One season came in 1974 when he joined McLaren as a works driver, piloting the Yardley-sponsored McLaren M23 alongside team leader and reigning World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Despite being the "number two" driver, Hailwood occasionally matched or even outpaced Fittipaldi, demonstrating that his skills had not diminished with age. However, during the 1974 German Grand Prix at the fearsome Nürburgring Nordschleife, disaster struck when Hailwood's McLaren landed awkwardly after cresting a jump at the notorious Pflanzgarten section and crashed head-on into the barriers at high speed. The impact broke his right leg in three places, and although his injuries eventually healed after extensive rehabilitation, the 34-year-old Hailwood decided to retire from professional motor racing, ending both his motorcycle and Formula One careers.

But Mike Hailwood's most defining moment came not on the track but in an act of extraordinary courage the previous year. At the 1973 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami, Clay Regazzoni's Ferrari crashed heavily and burst into flames, with the Swiss driver trapped unconscious in the burning wreckage. Without hesitation, Hailwood—who had just retired from the race himself—stopped his own car, ran across the track, and pulled the burning Regazzoni from the Ferrari, suffering burns to his own hands in the process. The heroic rescue saved Regazzoni's life, and in recognition of his selfless bravery, Hailwood was awarded the George Medal—Britain's highest honor for civilian gallantry—one of the very few Formula One-related George Medal awards ever given.

In 1978, at age 38, Hailwood made a sensational comeback to motorcycle racing, winning the Formula One TT and Senior TT at the Isle of Man—11 years after his previous TT victory—in one of motorsport's most remarkable comeback stories, proving his genius on two wheels remained undimmed. Tragically, Mike Hailwood's life was cut short on 21 March 1981 when he was driving his nine-year-old daughter Michelle and six-year-old son David to collect fish and chips near their home in Tanworth-in-Arden, Warwickshire. A truck driver veered across the road into their path, causing a devastating collision. Michelle was killed instantly, Mike Hailwood died two days later from his injuries on 23 March 1981 at age 40, but his son David survived.

The senseless accident devastated the motorsport community and Britain, robbing the sport of one of its greatest heroes in the most cruel circumstances. Mike Hailwood competed in 50 Formula One Grands Prix with 29 championship points, two podium finishes, and one pole position, but his four-wheel statistics pale in comparison to his motorcycle achievements. He is remembered primarily as one of the three greatest motorcycle racers in history alongside Giacomo Agostini and Valentino Rossi, and as a man of extraordinary courage both on and off the track—a gentleman racer whose heroic rescue of Clay Regazzoni exemplified his character as much as his nine World Championships exemplified his talent.