Mike Hailwood

The nine-time World Champion who mastered two wheels and four.

Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood, known as 'the Bike', was a British racing legend who dominated Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1967 and Formula One between 1963 and 1974. A nine-time World Champion with four titles in the premier 500cc class on MV Agusta, he secured an astounding 76 motorcycle Grands Prix victories across just 10 seasons. His career was defined by a fierce rivalry with Giacomo Agostini that peaked during their dramatic duel for the 1967 World Championship. Hailwood's versatility was unmatched; after retiring from motorcycles, he became one of the few men to compete at Grand Prix level in both disciplines, even returning to win the Isle of Man TT in 1978 at age 38 before his tragic death in a road traffic collision in Warwickshire in 1981.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood
Born: 2 April 1940
Birthplace: Great Milton, Oxfordshire, England
Died: 23 March 1981
Place of death: Birmingham, West Midlands, England
Cause of death: Multiple vehicle road collision
Spouse: Pauline Nash (1975)
Children: 2

Lore & Background

Hailwood's journey began in Great Milton, Oxfordshire, where he learned to ride on a minibike near his home before racing at Oulton Park on 22 April 1957. By 1961, riding for Honda, he made history at the Isle of Man TT by becoming the first man to win three races in one week across the 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc categories. He later won the 1961 250cc world championship on a four-stroke Honda RC162. Switching to MV Agusta in 1962, he became the first rider to win four consecutive 500cc World Championships. In February 1964 at Daytona, he set a new one-hour speed record of 144.8 mph on an MV 500cc before winning that afternoon's GP race. His dominance continued through 1967 when he claimed his twelfth Isle of Man TT victory in the Senior TT against Agostini, setting a lap record of 108.77 mph on the Honda RC181 that stood for eight years.

Reader's Guide

Hailwood's technical feedback shaped machine development across decades. In 1965, riding for Tom Kirby Team on a BSA Lightning Clubman in heavy rain at Silverstone, he won the Hutchinson 100 Production race with lapping speeds of 83 mph, proving production bikes could compete against factory entries. His versatility extended to endurance racing; he teamed with Dan Shorey to win the Thruxton 500 early in his career. Even after his motorcycle career concluded, he remained active in car racing, competing in the European Shellsport F5000 series from 1969 to 1971 and taking second in the 1972 Tasman F5000 series. His final competitive act on a BSA Rocket 3 at the 1971 Daytona 200 saw him lead before overheating, a machine his son David later demonstrated on the Isle of Man TT course in 2002 before crashing at Governor's Bridge.

Did You Know?

Hailwood became the first man in Isle of Man TT history to win three races in a single week in June 1961.
He was awarded the George Medal for bravery after rescuing Clay Regazzoni from a burning car during the 1973 South African Grand Prix.
He competed in 50 Formula One Grands Prix between 1963 and 1974, achieving two podium finishes.