Iván Palazzese

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]

Iván Palazzese
Nationality Venezuelan
Born(1962-01-02)2 January 1962
Alba Adriatica, Italy
Died28 May 1989(1989-05-28) (aged 27)
Hockenheim, Germany
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1977 - 1989
First race1977 125cc Venezuelan Grand Prix
Last race1989 250cc German Grand Prix
First win1982 125cc Swedish Grand Prix
Last win1982 125cc Finnish Grand Prix
Team(s)Morbidelli, Yamaha, Aprilia
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
69 2 9 1 2 239

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[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)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Points Rank Wins
1977 125cc Morbidelli VEN
3
AUT
-
GER
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
FRA
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
GBR
-
10 16th 0
1980 125cc Morbidelli NAT
6
ESP
2
FRA
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
FIN
-
GBR
4
CZE
8
GER
-
28 7th 0
1981 125cc Morbidelli ARG
RET
AUT
-
GER
-
NAT
-
FRA
7
ESP
2
YUG
6
NED
5
RSM
RET
GBR
-
FIN
-
SWE
3
CZE
-
37 7th 0
1982 125cc Morbidelli ARG
5
AUT
RET
FRA
-
ESP
RET
NAT
-
NED
6
BEL
RET
YUG
5
GBR
5
SWE
1
FIN
1
CZE
2
75 3rd 2
1983 250cc Venemotos Yamaha RSA
10
FRA
14
NAT
8
GER
RET
ESP
10
AUT
18
YUG
RET
NED
2
BEL
8
GBR
16
SWE
15
20 13th 0
1984 250cc Venemotos Yamaha RSA
8
NAT
RET
ESP
RET
AUT
-
GER
RET
FRA
DNQ
YUG
6
NED
20
BEL
4
GBR
DNS
SWE
16
RSM
12
16 15th 0
1985 250cc Venemotos Yamaha RSA
14
ESP
17
GER
RET
NAT
16
AUT
RET
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
RSM
-
0 - 0
1986 250cc Rotax ESP
-
NAT
20
GER
-
AUT
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
RSM
-
0 - 0
1987 250cc F.M.V. Yamaha JPN
-
ESP
-
GER
-
NAT
-
AUT
-
YUG
10
NED
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
8
RSM
12
POR
-
BRA
-
ARG
-
16 9th 0
1988 250cc Team Manoca-Yamaha JPN
-
USA
-
ESP
-
EXP
21
NAT
-
GER
-
AUT
9
NED
13
BEL
-
YUG
-
FRA
-
GBR
11
SWE
6
CZE
17
BRA
-
25 18th 0
1989 250cc Aprilia JPN
-
AUS
18
USA
11
ESP
11
NAT
7
GER
-
AUT
-
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
BRA
-
19 22nd 0

References

  1. "Ivan Palazzese". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  2. 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix. (1999)(1st Ed). Hazelton Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  3. "Iván Palazzese at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 7 December 2010.
  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. "1983 250cc Dutch TT results". MotoGP.com. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  6. "Motorcycling". The Glasgow Herald. May 29, 1989. p. 19.
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