From 1969 to 1977, Ángel Nieto was the best motorcycle racer in the 50 cc class of the motorcycle world championship . During this time he became world champion six times. In the class up to 125 cm³ Nieto won another seven world championship titles between 1971 and 1984. He won the first five world titles on a Derbi . Then there were other titles on Bultaco , Garelli , Kreidler and Minarelli . In his 186 starts in the motorcycle world championship, Nieto won 90 grands prix and 13 world championship titles; he also achieved 139 podium positions, 34 pole positions and 81 fastest laps . This made Nieto one of the most successful drivers in the history of the motorcycle world championship. His son Pablo Nieto and his nephew Fonsi Nieto were also motorcycle racers.
On July 26, 2017, Ángel Nieto had an accident with a quad on Ibiza . He was admitted to the Policlínica Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Ibiza City with a severe traumatic brain injury and placed in an artificial coma . He was operated on for a cerebral edema , but was unable to recover from the consequences of the accident and died on August 3rd at the age of 70. Ángel Nieto was buried at sea , during which his family scattered his ashes in the Mediterranean off Ibiza.
Spain
