Max Biaggi is now officially a MotoGP™ Legend! The four-time 250cc World Champion was inducted into the MotoGP™ pantheon at the Gran Premio d'Italia Oakley, with the spectacular Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello providing the perfect backdrop.
Dorna CEO Carmelo Ezpeleta presented Max Biaggi with his MotoGP™ legend medal at this Friday's ceremony, attended by many famous faces from the paddock, and a very special video message from HSH the Prince Albert II of Monaco.
Incredibly, considering the career he would go on to build, Biaggi started racing late, at the age of 18. From there, his rise was meteoric: in 1991, he participated in his first Grands Prix and scored points in the 250cc category. In 1992 he achieved his first victory, and in 1994 the "Roman Emperor" was world champion for the first time, also bringing Aprilia's first title in the 250cc category. The glory didn't stop there, as Biaggi won the 250cc title four times in a row and with two different factories, ruling the category from 1994 to 1997 inclusive and marking his place in history as one of the best drivers in the category.
In 1998, Biaggi moved up to the premier class and, incredibly, won on his 500cc debut, something that has never happened since. He became runner-up that year and began a new run of impressive performances, never finishing outside the top 5 in the championship during his premier class seasons between 1998 and 2005, his final run in MotoGP. ™.
By the time Biaggi left the Grand Prix paddock, he had accumulated 42 victories, including 13 in the premier class, 111 podiums and 56 pole positions. But his motorcycle racing career was far from over, as he moved to WorldSBK and took 21 wins and 71 podiums, capturing the title in 2010 and 2012, making him the first MotoGP™ Legend to also be WorldSBK Champion .
Source and photo credit: MotoGP.com
