Franco Uncini

Italian motorcycle racer

Franco Uncini

Franco Uncini

Nationality| Italian
Born|  (1955-03-09) March 9, 1955 (age 69)
Recanati, Province of Macerata
| Motorcycle racing career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years| 1976 \- 1985
First race| 1976 350cc Nations Grand Prix
Last race| 1985 500cc San Marino Grand Prix
First win| 1977 250cc Nations Grand Prix
Last win| 1982 500cc British Grand Prix
Team(s)| Suzuki
Championships| 500cc - 1982
| Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | F. laps | Points

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79 | 7 | 21 | 3 | 3 | 446

Franco Uncini (born 9 March 1955) is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racing. He was 1982 FIM Road Racing World Champion with Suzuki. He was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2016.[1][2]

## Career

[edit]

Uncini was born at Recanati, province of Macerata. He made his debut as professional motorcycle road racer in the 750cc class with Laverda, moving later to Ducati, with whom he earned various titles as Italian champion.[3] His first year in the Grand Prix World Championship was with Yamaha in 1976, in both the 250cc and the 350cc classes. The following year he continued to race in both classes, this time with the Harley-Davidson team, winning two Grands Prix in 250cc (Grand Prix of Nations and Czechoslovakia) and finishing second in championship behind Mario Lega. However, his quarrelsome relationship with teammate Walter Villa forced him to move back to Yamaha.[3]

Uncini (10) leads Jack Middelburg (4) and Kenny Roberts (3) at the 1982 Dutch TT

After some disappointing years with a privateer Yamaha team, in 1979 he purchased a Suzuki RG500 and launched a private team of his own in the 500cc class. He was the top-ranking privateer both in 1979 and 1980, with 5th- and 4th-place finishes. Accidents hindered his 1981 season, but after Marco Lucchinelli left Suzuki to join Honda, Suzuki offered Uncini an official factory-sponsored race bike run by Roberto Gallina's team. Finally, with a competitive vehicle, Uncini won the World Championship in 1982, scoring five victories (GPs of Austria, Netherlands, Yugoslavia, Great Britain and GP of Nations). He was the last Italian rider to win the 500cc crown until Valentino Rossi won in 2001, and for almost two decades the last European rider to win 500cc before Alex Criville won his title in 1999.

In 1983, he was severely injured at TT-Assen (The Netherlands), when he fell off his bike and was struck in the head by competitor Wayne Gardner's bike.[3][4] He went into a coma, but eventually recovered. He retired from motorcycle competition after the 1985 season.[3]

Today, Uncini acts as Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme Safety Officer in MotoGP.[3]

## Career statistics

[edit]

Grand Prix motorcycle racing results [5]

Points system from 1969 to 1988:

Position | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10

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Points | 15  | 12  | 10  | 8  | 6  | 5  | 4  | 3  | 2  | 1

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

Year  | Class  | Team  | 1  | 2  | 3  | 4  | 5  | 6  | 7  | 8  | 9  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | Points  | Rank  | Wins

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1976 | 250cc  | Yamaha | FRA
- |  | NAT
- | IOM
- | NED
10 | BEL
- | SWE
- | FIN
- | CZE
- | GER
- | ESP
- |  |  | 6  | 21st  | 0
350cc  | Yamaha | FRA
- | AUT
- | NAT
2 | IOM
- | NED
6 |  |  | FIN
- | CZE
- | GER
- | ESP
3 |  |  | 27  | 9th  | 0
1977 | 250cc  | Harley Davidson | VEN
- | GER
3 | NAT
1 | ESP
13 | FRA
- | YUG
- | NED
2 | BEL
7 | SWE
- | FIN
4 | CZE
1 | GBR
4 |  | 72  | 2nd | 2
350cc  | Harley Davidson | VEN
- | GER
- | NAT
6 | ESP
- | FRA
- | YUG
- | NED
5 |  | SWE
- | FIN
- | CZE
- | GBR
- |  | 11  | 20th  | 0
1978 | 250cc  | Yamaha | VEN
- | ESP
3 |  | FRA
- | NAT
3 | NED
4 | BEL
2 | SWE
- | FIN
- | GBR
- | GER
- | CZE
9 | YUG
- | 42  | 8th  | 0
350cc  | Yamaha | VEN
- |  | AUT
2 | FRA
- | NAT
5 | NED
10 |  | SWE
- | FIN
- | GBR
- | GER
- | CZE
- | YUG
- | 19  | 12th  | 0
1979 | 500cc  | Suzuki | VEN
4 | AUT
6 | GER
6 | NAT
- | ESP
5 | YUG
3 | NED
6 | BEL
- | SWE
- | FIN
- | GBR
7 | FRA
4 |  | 51  | 5th  | 0
1980 | 500cc  | Suzuki | NAT
2 | ESP
7 | FRA
- | NED
3 | BEL
6 | FIN
3 | GBR
6 | GER
7 |  |  |  |  |  | 50  | 4th  | 0
1981 | 500cc  | Suzuki | AUT
7 | GER
10 | NAT
8 | FRA
- | YUG
NC | NED
- | BEL
- | RSM
NC | GBR
16 | FIN
NC | SWE
7 |  |  | 12  | 13th  | 0
1982 | 500cc  | Suzuki | ARG
4 | AUT
1 | FRA
WD | ESP
3 | NAT
1 | NED
1 | BEL
3 | YUG
1 | GBR
1 | SWE
NC | RSM
NC | GER
NC |  | 103  | 1st | 5
1983 | 500cc  | Suzuki | RSA
6 | FRA
NC | NAT
4 | GER
5 | ESP
5 | AUT
5 | YUG
NC | NED
NC | BEL
- | GBR
- | SWE
- | RSM
- |  | 31  | 9th  | 0
1984 | 500cc  | Suzuki | RSA
NC | NAT
5 | ESP
NC | AUT
11 | GER
6 | FRA
- | YUG
- | NED
- | BEL
- | GBR
11 | SWE
NC | RSM
8 |  | 14  | 14th  | 0
1985 | 500cc  | Suzuki | RSA
11 | ESP
- | GER
NC | NAT
8 | AUT
13 | YUG
NC | NED
13 | BEL
13 | FRA
12 | GBR
18 | SWE
15 | RSM
6 |  | 8  | 15th  | 0

## References

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Franco Uncini.

1. ^ "MotoGP Legends". motogp.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
2. ^ "Uncini becomes a MotoGP Legend". motogp.com. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
3. ^ a b c d e DeWitt, Norm (September–October 2012). "Franco Uncini – World Champion – Team Manager – Top Official". Classic Racer (157): 22–28. ISSN 1470-4463.
4. ^ Cathcart, Alan (1986). Wayne Gardner. Retrieved 30 January 2016. `{{cite book}}`: `|work=` ignored (help)
5. ^ "Rider Statistics - Franco Uncini". MotoGP.com. Archived from the original on 2017-02-25. Retrieved 2008-08-16.

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500cc/MotoGP World Riders' Champions

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1949 L. Graham
1950 U. Masetti
1951 G. Duke
1952 U. Masetti
1953 G. Duke
1954 G. Duke
1955 G. Duke
1956 J. Surtees
1957 L. Liberati
1958 J. Surtees
1959 J. Surtees

1960 J. Surtees
1961 G. Hocking
1962 M. Hailwood
1963 M. Hailwood
1964 M. Hailwood
1965 M. Hailwood
1966 G. Agostini
1967 G. Agostini
1968 G. Agostini
1969 G. Agostini

1970 G. Agostini
1971 G. Agostini
1972 G. Agostini
1973 P. Read
1974 P. Read
1975 G. Agostini
1976 B. Sheene
1977 B. Sheene
1978 K. Roberts
1979 K. Roberts

1980 K. Roberts
1981 M. Lucchinelli
1982 F. Uncini
1983 F. Spencer
1984 E. Lawson
1985 F. Spencer
1986 E. Lawson
1987 W. Gardner
1988 E. Lawson
1989 E. Lawson

1990 W. Rainey
1991 W. Rainey
1992 W. Rainey
1993 K. Schwantz
1994 M. Doohan
1995 M. Doohan
1996 M. Doohan
1997 M. Doohan
1998 M. Doohan
1999 À. Crivillé

2000 K. Roberts Jr.
2001 V. Rossi
2002 V. Rossi
2003 V. Rossi
2004 V. Rossi
2005 V. Rossi
2006 N. Hayden
2007 C. Stoner
2008 V. Rossi
2009 V. Rossi

2010 J. Lorenzo
2011 C. Stoner
2012 J. Lorenzo
2013 M. Márquez
2014 M. Márquez
2015 J. Lorenzo
2016 M. Márquez
2017 M. Márquez
2018 M. Márquez
2019 M. Márquez

2020 J. Mir
2021 F. Quartararo
2022 F. Bagnaia
2023 F. Bagnaia
2024 J. Martín

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* v
* t
* e

Members of the MotoGP Hall of Fame

* Anderson
* Anscheidt
* Agostini
* Ballington
* Biaggi
* Crivillé
* Doohan
* Dörflinger
* Dovizioso
* Duke
* Gardner
* Hailwood
* Hayden
* Kato
* Lawson
* Lorenzo
* Lucchinelli
* Mamola
* Mang
* Martínez
* Nieto
* Pedrosa
* Rainey
* Read
* Redman
* Roberts
* Roberts Jr.
* Rossi
* Saarinen
* Schwantz
* Sheene
* Simoncelli
* Spencer
* Stoner
* Surtees
* Taveri
* Ubbiali
* Uncini

* v
* t
* e

Suzuki Motorcycles Grandprix

Grand Prix motorcycle

Suzuki GSX-RR

500cc/MotoGP World Champions

* Barry Sheene (1976, 1977)
* Marco Lucchinelli (1981)
* Franco Uncini (1982)
* Kevin Schwantz (1993)
* Kenny Roberts Jr. (2000)
* Joan Mir (2020)

Factory team race winners

* Kenny Roberts Jr.
* Chris Vermeulen
* Maverick Viñales
* Álex Rins
* Joan Mir

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