Join us Ángel Nieto
1971 - 1973 / 1981 - 1983
Ángel Nieto
The Spanish "Maestro" of Motorcycling
Considered by many to be the father of motorcycling in Spain.
Only one other rider has won more Motorcycling World Championships. In an era when riders took to the track in only a leather jumpsuit and a simple helmet, Ángel Nieto began to record his own legend: a lasting one that would go down in history. Thank you, maestro!
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12 + 1 World Titles
of Motorcycling
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90 Wins
World Champions
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139 Podiums
World Champions
The arrival of Repsol
There was a time when the fairings of motorbikes were perfectly and immaculately white — well, maybe not perfectly. The overall colours identified the brand and little more. In Spain, that "little more" was the round symbol with an R in the middle
Ángel Nieto
Memories
No matter how many things happen in life, no matter how many titles you win, you'll always remember that first victory
Ángel Nieto
The team
In the world of motor sport, you aren't the winner. You win with your team: with the people who give it the same drive and enthusiasm as you. Sometimes, I've woken up my mechanics at four or five in the morning just to open up the engine and change the reduction ratio. And they never say no, because they're just as enthusiastic about it as me
Ángel Nieto
From the garage to glory
Ángel Nieto got his start about as soon as he arrived in Madrid: still not even 15 years old, he was already working in a workshop in Vallecas. That's where he took a liking to motorbikes, and for him it was clear from the start: he needed to compete. With no means of his own, he travelled to Barcelona and hopped from brand to brand: Bultaco, Ducati, Mototrans, and finally landing on a Derbi. In those days, he once even spent an entire season sleeping in a basement.
Driven by insistence and will, he began racing and soon enough started to stand out on the circuits. Derbi offered him a 50cc in 1968, and despite his lack of experience, he won two races. It was the dawning of a legend. In '69 he won his first World Championship in 50cc.
From there he would go on to win 12+1 World Championships: six in 50cc and seven in 125cc. We can't forget to add another 23 Spanish Championships to these victories. All in all, 218 wins: 90 of them in the World Championship. Legendary numbers, fit for the Maestro of Spanish motorcycling.
1971 Spanish Championship
1972 Czechoslovakian GP
1972 Spanish GP
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Andrés Vilariño