Ángel Nieto and Giacomo Agostini. Only these two riders have more titles than Carlo Ubbiali in total. With nine titles, the Italian is only equaled by his compatriot Valentino Rossi, the great Mike Hailwood, and Marc Marquez since the Grand Prix from Japan 2025. And if today few spectators know him, he is one of the best drivers of all time.
Born in Bergamo, young Carlo decided to pursue motorcycle racing in 1947, drawn to the allure of speed, danger, and adrenaline. A true passion developed, and he naturally gravitated towards increasingly prestigious races. Still finding his way, he entered the International Six Days Enduro, a famous and legendary off-road race. Meanwhile, a small brand was emerging near Varese in Lombardy. The MV Agusta company, still family-owned, was increasingly moving towards racing in the purest Italian tradition. : the series that finances the competition.
Ubbiali at the 1960 Dutch Grand Prix. What a man. Photo: ANEFO
The objectives of this family, descendants of the famous Count Giovanni Agusta, were still unclear, but by 1945, the question was truly being raised. At the same time, the International Motorcycling Federation, a pioneer in this area, decided to organize the first World Championship in history in 1949As you will have understood, Ubbiali is increasingly making a name for himself, but his lack of experience prevents him from competing with the highest-performing Italian motorcycles, such as Moto Guzzi, Gilera and Mondial.
He decided to embrace something new, namely the MV Agusta route. It was quite simple: only three riders (Giuseppe Matucci, Franco Bertoni, and Ubbiali himself) represented the brand-new team for its first year on the world stage. All competed in the 125cc class, for obvious cost reasons. Instantly, Ubbiali distinguished himself from his compatriots and finished the season in fourth place.e. This surely demoralized Bertoni, who had been the main developer of this machine.
Carlo's talent was evident, but the machine was not good enough. So, for 1950, he decided to change his mount to a Mondial, still in 125cc. The firm, well established and very competitive, offered him his first victory on the unforgivable Ulster route. The following year, what was supposed to happen happened: a well-deserved first title.
But in 1952, the competition was tougher in the 125cc class. Scoring only second places all year, he was dethroned by Cecil Sandford on… an MV Agusta. These bikes had improved enormously and were now competing with the Mondial. Surprisingly, Ubbiali preferred to stay in the smaller categories and never raced a 350cc – let alone a 500cc – throughout his entire career.Sensing the changing tide, Ubbiali re-signed with the team that had given him his Grand Prix start for the rest of his career. Indeed, Carlo remained loyal to the Italian marque for the next eight years. A wise choice.
Despite two setbacks in 1953 and 1954, he managed to turn things around and secure his second title in 1955. He easily outclassed the competition on a far superior machine. It was in that same year that he first tested the 250cc bike, and with great success. He won the prestigious Nations Grand Prix at Monza on his very first attempt. This highly encouraging race convinced him to take the plunge. Until the end of his motorcycle adventure, he raced in both categories simultaneously.
From 1956 onwards, the real progress began. In the 250cc class, he achieved a perfect year, triumphing in every race of the season, a feat few riders throughout history have managed. The worst part, He just missed out on a perfect double., but his rival Romolo Ferri on Gilera blocked his path on the Solitude Circuit in Germany.
In the middle of it all, It should be noted that it was indeed he who made MV Agusta attractive! Thus, in 1956, the brand attracted one of its greatest legends in the person of John Surtees. The latter dominated the two largest categories, namely the 350cc and the 500cc. The Ubbiali/Surtees pair is still considered a legendary armada in the history of our sport.
1957 was a dark year for the Bergamo native. Absent half the time, he was unable to properly defend his two titles, but it was only a matter of time before '58. While he easily won the 125cc, Tarquinio Provini MV Agusta sweeps the board in the quarter-liter category. They rub their hands together: all four championship titles are theirs. A rare feat. A significant rivalry arose between the two men from that day forward. In 1958, the confrontation promised to be incredible.
Of course, he was absent from the infographic shown to the public when Marc Marquez won the title, just like Angel Nieto. The erasure of the smaller categories has begun. Photo: ANEFO
With the main Italian firms having withdrawn, only MV Agusta could hope to win. After an incredible season, Ubbilai snatched both titles from under Provini's nose by just two points in the 125cc class and twelve in the 250cc class.Once again, he took advantage of his fantastic, smooth and very calm driving style to get the better of his opponent.
This was what characterized Ubbiali. The star never fell, in an era when a bad fall could happen very quickly.The "fox" was able to make the right choices, sacrificing points for consistency to lift the biggest trophies at the end of the year. His cautious, but terribly effective style allowed him to never get injured in eleven seasons; an exploit.
So 1960 was killed before it even started. The announcement of Provini's departure to Morini left no room for doubt in the two smallest displacements. Once again, Ubbiali prevailed quietly and decided to retire instantly.
A new chapter was beginning. Always thoughtful, he didn't want to wait until he was hurting himself to stop and decided to do so at his peak. Nine titles and, of course, the record at the time. Go on, want a Ubbiales-esque statistic? He competed in 74 world championship races. He finished on the podium 68 times.
An absolute legend and respected by all, it is a monument which passed away on June 2, 2020. The one who paved the way for Agostini, Hailwood and laid the foundations of the MV Agusta dynasty in Grand Prix. This true enthusiast, who was still competing in specialized events until recently, will never be forgotten.
Did you know him? Tell me in the comments!
He remained active until very late in his life.
