Alberto Pagani

Alberto Pagani (born August 29, 1938 in Milan , † September 11, 2017 in Caronno Varesino ) was an Italian motorcycle racer .

He was the son of Nello Pagani , the first 125 cc world champion in the history of the motorcycle world championship . Pagani's greatest success was the runner-up world championship in 1972 in the 500 cm³ class.

Career

Alberto Pagani's career began in 1956 when, with the help of his father, who was team manager at MV Agusta at the time, he got a 125 cc MV Agusta machine on loan. In 1959 he made his debut in fifth place in the 125cc race of the Ulster Grand Prix in the motorcycle world championship . From 1960 Pagani worked as an official test driver for Aermacchi and remained connected with the manufacturer from Varese for almost the entire 1960s. The Italian started sporadically the Motorcycle World Championship and was able to in the smaller classes again this time on different makes 1967 a total of six podiums claim for itself, without being able to celebrate a victory there.

For Aermacchi was Alberto Pagani among others, to develop the ultimately unsuccessful 500-cm³- Linto - two-cylinder -Rennmaschine whose engine 250cc Aermacchi cylinders in principle of two in a common crankcase was involved. With this motorcycle the Italian drove in 1968 at the Grand Prix of the GDR at the Sachsenring in second place behind Giacomo Agostini and in 1969 at the Nations Grand Prix in Imola in the 500 cc class his first Grand Prix victory. For the Linto this was the only victory.

Alberto Pagani had to wait patiently for a chance at MV Agusta for a long time, when MV works driver Angelo Bergamonti had a fatal accident in an Italian championship race in Riccione in April 1971 , he finally got it and was subsequently a reliable one thanks to his stable performance MV number two behind the absolute exceptional driver of this time, Giacomo Agostini. Pagani won his first World Championship run for the Samarate-based manufacturer at the 500 Nations Grand Prix of the same year . In the 1972 season , the Milanese competed permanently for MV Agusta in the 500 World Cup, won the Yugoslavian Grand Prix , which was held in Opatija that year , and came second six times, always behind his teammate Ago . In the overall World Championship standings, Pagani also finished second behind the superior winner Giacomo Agostini and thus celebrated the greatest success of his career.

After the successful season '72 Alberto Pagani ended his active career. This decision is possibly due to the fatal accident of Gilberto Parlottis , who died in the 125 cc race of the Tourist Trophy 1972 held in catastrophic weather conditions. The Italian remained connected to racing, following in his father's footsteps and working as team manager for MV Agusta in 1973 and 1974 . Although the MV machines dominated the 500cc field, this was not an easy task, as the two works drivers Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read openly fought their rivalry. After he left MV, Alberto Pagani took care of his family and business matters.

successes

• 1972 - 500 cc vice world champion on MV Agusta
• 3 Grand Prix victories

References

literature

• Mick Walker: Giacomo Agostini - Champion of Champions . Ed .: The Breedon Books Publishing Company Limited. Scotprint, Haddington , East Lothian , Scotland 2004, ISBN 1-85983-400-0 , pp. 108 .

Web links

• Alberto Pagani on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship (English).