Photo: Jack de Nijs for Anefo / CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Mike Hailwood is, for my money, a genuine candidate for greatest motorcycle racer ever. Nine Grand Prix world titles and seventy-six wins, including four 500cc crowns on MV Agusta, is staggering. What elevates him beyond statistics is the 1978 Isle of Man TT comeback, returning at thirty-eight after years away and winning, the stuff of legend. He also raced Formula One and earned the George Medal for bravely pulling a fellow driver from a burning car. His death in a road accident in 1981 was a cruel end. Talent, courage, and modesty rarely combine so completely in one rider.
Overview
Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood (2 April 1940 – 23 March 1981) was a British racing driver and motorcycle road racer, who competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1958 to 1967, and Formula One between 1963 and 1974. Nicknamed "the Bike", Hailwood was a nine-time Grand Prix motorcycle World Champion, with four titles in the premier 500cc class with MV Agusta, and won 76 motorcycle Grands Prix across 10 seasons.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Mike Hailwood
- Name (Japanese)
- マイク・ヘイルウッド
- Reading
- まいく・へいるうっど
- Born
- April 2, 1940 – March 23, 1981
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Aries / Dragon
- Origin
- Great Milton, United Kingdom
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- Formula One driver / motorcycle racer / merchant / businessperson / athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Pangbourne College
Awards & achievements
- Member of the Order of the British Empire
- 1973 George Medal
- 2000 Motorcycle Hall of Fame
- 2000 MotoGP Legends
- 1979 Segrave Trophy
- 2001 International Motorsports Hall of Fame
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Formula One driver — see all → · Motorcycle racer — see all → · More people from United Kingdom →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.