Mike Hailwood

Name: Mike Hailwood

Nationality: Great Britain

Date of birth: April 2, 1940 - Oxford

Date of death: March 23, 1981 - Birmingham

Possibly the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, Mike Hailwood never quite managed to reproduce the same winning form when he switched to car racing, although all the natural flair, ability and promise still shone through. Mike first dabbled in F1 back in 1964, but it was not until the early 1970s that he had a serious shot at single seater racing driving for fellow former bike racer John Surtees's team. Driving a Surtees TS10, Mike won the 1972 European F2 Championship and had several promising Grand Prix placings driving John's car, including battling for the lead of the '72 South African GP against Jackie Stewart and Denny Hulme.

After a frustrating '73 season he switched to the McLaren camp, but crashed heavily at the Nurburgring, suffering leg injuries which ended his F1 career. In 1978 he made a sensational return to the Isle of Man to win the F1 Tourist Trophy riding a 900cc Ducati, then won the following year's Senior TT on a 500cc Suzuki.

He then retired for good only to be killed with his young daughter Michelle in a road accident close to their home in Warwickshire.

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