Modern motorsport is incredibly competitive. Teams and riders that compete in championships like MotoGP and World and British Superbikes will move heaven and earth to gain just a tiny fraction of a second over a lap in their quest to be the best. This helps to make the racing exciting and difficult to predict, boosting viewing figures and betting markets. The latter also enjoys help from the bookies that offer promotions to their customers, such as free bets and deposit matches.
For every rider that makes it into a top championship, there are hundreds who never manage to fulfill their dreams and are left competing in feeder series or lower-tier national competitions.
While we would all like motorcycle racing to be a meritocracy, the reality is that motorsport of any kind is incredibly expensive. That means that really talented riders will miss out on an opportunity to compete simply because they can’t fund their rise through the ranks.
So with the odds stacked against them, only a tiny number of riders ever make it to the top flight of motorcycle racing. Of them, an even smaller fraction will make it onto the podium, fewer still will win a race, and a microscopic number will become champions.
This exact same reality is true for car racing. Only 20 drivers can make it into Formula 1 in any given year with many times more vying for a seat by taking part in junior Formulae like Formula 2 and Formula 3.
Therefore, the number of people who manage to enjoy even mediocre success on both four wheels and two wheels is infinitesimally small, making them a very rare breed. Not even Michael Schumacher or Valentino Rossi could manage the feat. Despite both competing in lower tiers of bike and car racing respectively, neither made it to Grand Prix level in their opposing vehicle types. Some people have, here are their stories.
Nello Pagani
The first person to attempt this was Nello Pagani, an Italian who made his start in Grand Prix motorcycle racing back in 1949 when he took part in the 125cc Swiss Grand Prix. He didn’t hang about, either, picking up his first victory at his debut event.
The following year, Pagani entered the Swiss Formula 1 Grand Prix for Scuderia Achille Varzi in a Maserati, finishing seventh of 18, two spots from a points finish. That was, however, his first and only Formula 1 race – hardly a raging success.
Mike “The Bike” Hailwood
Mike Hailwood, or Mike the Bike as most people knew him as, was a very successful motorcycle racer. He made his debut at the 1958 Isle of Man TT, though he wouldn’t pick up his first win until a year later at the Ulster Grand Prix.
From 152 starts, Mike the Bike picked up 76 wins, an astonishing 50% conversion rate, as well as 112 podiums and 79 fastest laps. He also won 14 Isle of Man TTs between 1961 and 1979, making him one of the most successful riders in the prestigious event.
Not satisfied with success on one type of vehicle, Hailwood also competed in a range of different car racing categories, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Formula 1. In Le Mans, the Brit only managed a third-place finish in 1969 from four attempts,
In F1, Hailwood didn’t fare much better. From 50 starts between 1963 and 1974, he managed two podiums, one fastest lap, and 29 points.
John Surtees
John Surtees went further than Hailwood and Pagani, becoming the only person in history to win world championships at Formula 1 and motorcycle Grand Prix racing. Starting out on two wheels in 1952, he entered the Ulster Grand Prix, diving straight into the 500cc category.
He picked up his first World Championship in 1956 and managed to win four 500cc and three 350cc titles by the time he hung up his leathers in 1960. He didn’t retire to a quiet life in the countryside, though. Instead, Surtees moved to Formula 1.
He made his debut at the 1960 Monaco Grand Prix, picked up his first win three years later, and became the only person to win the world championship on two wheels and four in 1964, beating compatriots Graham Hill and Jim Clark.
