The Legend of Umberto Masetti, the first Italian hero of the premier class

Umberto Masetti, the first Italian rider to become a World Champion in Grand Prix motorcycle racing, is inducted as a MotoGP Legend.

Not only Loris Capirossi: the Misano GP was also an opportunity to celebrate Umberto Masetti, another great from the early years of the World Championship, officially established in 1949 as the World Speed Championship. Born in Parma in 1929 and passing away in 2006, Masetti was the first Italian rider to win a world title in the premier class, then 500cc, with the legendary Gilera. In parallel, he claimed six titles in the Italian Speed Championship between 1949 and 1955. The award, his induction into the Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend, was presented by Carlos Ezpeleta to Nello Masetti, son of the legendary champion of the 1950s and 1960s, shortly before the MotoGP Sprint.

A pioneer of Italian motorcycling, highly appreciated for his style and charisma, “Topolino” (his nickname) made his World Championship debut the very year it was born, in 1949. He raced a Moto Morini in 125 and a Benelli in 250, later moving into 350 and 500 as well: a clarification worth making, since in the early days and for a long time it was indeed possible to race in multiple categories in the same season. A possibility that, you might be surprised to learn, remained in the rulebook until 2023! But it had fallen out of use for decades: the last to do so was Jorge “Aspar” Martinez, an 80cc and 125cc rider in 1988. Back to Masetti: he only contested a few full seasons in the World Championship—keep in mind the organization was very different, some classes had very few races, and points were awarded only to the top 5...

From 1956 in particular and through the mid-1960s, Masetti would make only sporadic World Championship appearances, but he had already made history before then. In 1950, the talent from Parma became 500cc World Champion aboard a Gilera, officially entering the record books as the first Italian world champion in the premier class. It didn't end there: two years later he did it again, still in 500cc and still riding the legendary four-cylinder Gilera. Masetti managed to score points in every class he raced. In the 1960s he moved to Chile, where he competed until the end of the decade, when he officially retired from professional motorcycle racing. He then moved with his family to Maranello and continued working in motorcycling, including as an Aprilia executive in the late 1990s. He passed away in May 2006 due to complications related to respiratory issues.

-> 125 Results
Moto Morini, only 1949: 2nd at the Nations GP, 3rd in the world standings

-> 250 Results
Benelli, 1949: 3rd at the Nations GP
NSU, 1950: points at the Nations GP (only GP contested due to injury)
MV Agusta, 1955: 2nd Dutch TT Assen, 3rd Ulster GP
MV Agusta, 1958: DNF at the Nations GP
Moto Morini, 1962: 2nd at the Argentine GP
Moto Morini, 1963: 3rd at the Argentine GP

-> 350 Results
MV Agusta, 1956-1957: two points finishes, 14th and 10th in the world standings

-> 500 Results
Gilera, 1950: two wins, two podiums, World Champion
Gilera, 1951: one win, two podiums, 3rd in the world standings
Gilera, 1952: two wins, two podiums, World Champion
Gilera, 1954: 2nd at the Nations GP
MV Agusta, 1955: one win, two podiums, 3rd in the world standings
MV Agusta, 1956: 2nd at the German GP
MV Agusta, 1957: one points finish
MV Agusta, 1958: 3rd at the Nations GP

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