Retrospective: It's time to celebrate Renzo Pasolini, the forgotten man of Monza

Monza 1973, a dark day in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. During the 250cc race, two riders perished, including Jarno Saarinen, one of the greatest talents we have ever seen. The almost mythical image of the Finnish champion somewhat overshadowed the other unfortunate victim: Renzo Pasolini. Let's look back together at the career of this uncrowned champion.

Renzo, born in Rimini, was interested in motorcycles from a very young age. Born in 1938, it was his father who instilled in him this passion, which he initially expressed through motocross. He began his off-road career in his early twenties, and even then, his atypical personality, with a strong penchant for partying, was noticeable. Like many other riders, he smoked, which didn't prevent him from performing well. Then, he decides to turn to the track, riding an AermacchiIn 1964, after his military service, he raced for the first time in the world championship at the Grand Prix des Nations, in Monza.

 

 

Now well established at the national level, "Paso" is one of the contenders for the title in the Italian championship. In 1965, he finished second in the 250cc class and third in the 350cc class, notably beaten by Giacomo Agostini.The two had met before; a rivalry was beginning to develop. He rode Aermacchis in the few rounds of the world championship he competed in, but was used to Benellis in Italy. In 1966, he finally showed promise in both the 250cc and 350cc classes, finishing 3rd in the world championship.

Renzo joined Benelli full-time in 1967. He held his own against the tough competition, but wasn't among the elite either. Everything changed in 1968. This time, he was in the mix, whether in 250cc, 350cc, or even 500cc, with a second-place finish at the Nations Grand Prix. He was runner-up in the 350cc World Championship, but far behind the imperious Giacomo Agostini on his MV Agusta. No regrets. His real chance at the title lay in the 250cc class, which the "King" didn't compete in. However, the grid was not entirely devoid of talent..

The Benellis were comfortable in the quarter-liter class, and Pasolini's very aggressive riding style suited the engine size rather well. From then on, he focused solely on this class. Unfortunately, a nasty injury sustained at the German Grand Prix, the second race of the season, forced him to hand the handlebars over to Kelvin Carruthers. Once his collarbone had healed, Renzo returned highly motivated, but there was a firestorm brewing: Carruthers had won in his absenceThe Italian won at Assen, taking advantage of Rodney Gould's poor performance, then triumphed again at the Sachsenring, in impressive fashion. In Czechoslovakia, "Paso" did it again; he was unstoppable. Carruthers kept his distance. He's not about to let an opportunity like this pass him by.

The battle for the title is intense, with Santiago Herrero on fire, not to mention the Briton Rod Gould and the Swede Kent AnderssonBut Pasolini made a mistake; he crashed in Finland when he needed to score points to survive. Worse still, on the treacherous Imatra circuit, he was injured again; his title hopes dwindled. His absence from the Nations Grand Prix seals his fate; he can no longer win the title.He had to watch his replacement, Kel Carruthers, lift the trophy after the crazy finish in Preluk, Yugoslavia, where four drivers were in contention for the title. Despite three victories, Paso finished 4th overall.

 

 

Having moved up to 350cc, still riding for Benelli, Pasolini was far from being outclassed, but was once again outpaced by the Australian, and, of course, the ever-present Agostini. This rather disappointing season led him to sign with Aermacchi, now competing with Harley-Davidson. Throughout 1971, he developed the product of this surprising Italian-American mix, only to return stronger in 1972. In both the 250cc and 350cc classes, the machines were competitive. In the latter category, Agostini was untouchable. In a quarter-liter bottle, he manages to challenge Jarno Saarinen, the new extraterrestrial of the world championship.The two took turns winning, but ultimately, an engine failure in Finland cleared the way for Saarinen, who won his one and only world title in front of his home crowd. Paso's victory in Spain, one round later, reduced the gap to just one point, but it didn't matter; he is beaten again.

And finally, 1973 arrived. While Aermacchi became Harley-Davidson, Renzo was already third in France, at the opening Grand Prix. While the championship was in full swing, the team remained in Italy to develop a liquid-cooled engine, which was to make its debut at Monza. Unfortunately, the trial was short-lived.In the first corner, the Curva Grande, Pasolini mysteriously misses his mark and is then hit by SaarinenThird. His Harley bounced off the rails, fell back on Jarno, and a massive pile-up involving about ten riders ensued. Saarinen and Pasolini were the only two killed instantly.

The circumstances of the accident remained unclear for a long time, but we revisited this tragic event in detail in the article dedicated to Saarinen, which you can find by clicking on this highlighted sentence. Pasolini's death, like that of his Finnish rival, leaves a void. At 34, he had established himself as one of the best 250cc riders of the era. In 1986, Ducati released the "Passo", in homage to the sacrifice of Monza.

Did you know this pilot and his tragic fate? Tell me in the comments!