Luigi Taveri

Luigi Taveri (center) together with Jim Redman (left) and Kunimitsu Takahashi (right) at the Dutch TT in Assen 1963 .

Luigi Taveri in Salzburg (2006)

Luigi Taveri (born September 19, 1929 in Horgen ; † March 1, 2018 ) was a Swiss motorcycle racer and three-time world champion in the 125 cm³ class.

Career

Luigi Taveri began his international racing career in 1953 in the 350 cm³ class. After difficult years in which he was unsuccessful in various classes with the brands Moto Guzzi , Norton , MV Agusta , MZ and Ducati , he switched to Honda in 1962 . In 1962 , 1964 and 1966 he won the world championship title in the 125 cm³ class for the Japanese manufacturer.

In his 143 starts in the motorcycle world championship, Luigi Taveri achieved 30 victories, 89 podium places and 28 fastest race laps . Taveri succeeded as only driver to date, driven in all his time classes - including the sidecar , where he in 1954 in the boot of Hans Haldemann sixth at his home Grand Prix was - championship points to win.

Taveri lived in Saturdayern ( Richterswil municipality ) and took part in veteran races even when he was old . In 2015 he announced his retirement.

statistics

title

• 1953 - Swiss 350cc champion
• 1954 - Swiss 250 cm³, 500 cm³ and team masters
• 1957 - Swiss 250cc champion
• 1962 - 125 cc world champion on a Honda
• 1964 - 125 cc world champion on a Honda
• 1966 - 125 cc world champion on a Honda
• 30 Grand Prix victories

Isle of Man TT victories

year	class	machine	Average speed
1962	Lightweight 125 (125 cm³)	Honda	89.88  mph (144.65  km / h )
1964	Lightweight 125 (125 cm³)	Honda	92.12 mph (148.25 km / h)
1965	50 cc (50 cm³)	Honda	79.66 mph (128.2 km / h)

literature

• Luigi Taveri, Rolf Vilim: My life on two wheels . Motorbuch Verlag , Stuttgart 1969.
• Luigi Taveri in the Munzinger archive ( beginning of article freely available)

Web links

Commons : Luigi Taveri  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Luigi Taveri on the official website of the Motorcycle World Championship (English).
• Luigi Taveri on the Isle of Man TT official website.
• Obituary of the Luzerner Zeitung
• Obituary NZZ

Individual evidence

1. ↑ MotoGP: Motorcycle legend Luigi Taveri has passed away , accessed on March 1, 2018.
2. ↑ Klaus Zaugg: The last GP of the greatest Swiss motorcycle driver of all time - Luigi Taveri withdraws. In: watson.ch from July 13, 2015.
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Helmut Ohner: Swiss motorcycle champion. (No longer available online.) Motorsportstatistik.com, archived from the original on May 18, 2015 ; accessed on May 11, 2015 .