Iván Palazzese
NationalityVenezuela 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

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]

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. 1 2 3 "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. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "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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