Ivan_Palazzese

Iván Palazzese

Iván Palazzese

Venezuelan motorcycle racer

Iván Palazzese (2 January 1962 – 28 May 1989) was an Italian born Venezuelan professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix road racing world championships from 1977 to 1989.[1] In 1977, he became the youngest person at the time to stand on a Grand Prix podium, when he finished third behind Angel Nieto and Anton Mang at the 125cc Venezuelan Grand Prix at the age of 15.[2]

Quick Facts Nationality, Born ...

Motorcycle racing career

Palazzese was born in Alba Adriatica in the Abruzzo region of central eastern Italy.[3] His family emigrated to Venezuela when he was a child and he became a Venezuelan citizen.[3] Palazzese began his racing career as a teenager, riding a Morbidelli 125 at the San Carlos Circuit.

He returned to Europe to compete in the Grand Prix world championships as a member of the Venemotos Yamaha racing team alongside his teammates, Johnny Cecotto and Carlos Lavado.[3] Palazzese had his best year in 1982 when he won two 125cc Grands Prix and finished the season in third place, behind Angel Nieto and Eugenio Lazzarini.[1] At the 1983 Dutch TT, Lavado and Palazzese finished in first and second place marking the first time that Venezuelan riders had claimed the top two places in a world championship Grand Prix race.[4][5]

Palazzese was killed in a racing accident at the 1989 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring.[3] He was closely following Andreas Preining when the latter's motorcycle engine seized and abruptly slowed, causing Palazzese to collide with Preining and subsequently crash.[3] While Palazzese was picking himself up off the ground, he was struck by riders Bruno Bonhuil and Fabio Barchitta who both crashed.[3] It was fellow rider Virginio Ferrari who stopped his bike and first came to Palazzese's aid, but Palazzese was already dead having sustained massive chest injuries.[3][6] He was 27 years old.

There is a monument erected in his honor in the Italian city of Alba Adriatica, where Palazzese was born.(Photo of the monument).

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Source:[1]

Points system from 1968 to 1987

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1

Points system from 1988 to 1992

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Points 20 17 15 13 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

More information Year, Class ...

References

  1. [1]
    "Ivan Palazzese". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  2. [2]
    50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix. (1999)(1st Ed). Hazelton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  3. [3]
    "Iván Palazzese at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  4. [4]
    Clifford, Peter (1983), Motocourse 1983-1984, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 0-905138-26-0, Anyway, it was the first one-two Grand Prix for Venezuela.
  5. [5]
    "1983 250cc Dutch TT results". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  6. [6]
    "Motorcycling". The Glasgow Herald. May 29, 1989. p. 19.
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