Retrospective: You forgot these world champions! 6/7

After the 2022 season, there are 128 : this is the number of different world champions who have marked the history of motorcycle Grands Prix, all categories combined. This number may seem enormous, although it does not take into account sidecars, which are too often forgotten. However, a good number of surnames are familiar. Being a world champion, regardless of engine size, is the achievement of a lifetime. Moreover, the majority of elected officials, over the 74-year history of the organization, have also performed at the highest level, or at least, left a sufficiently important mark for us to remember them. But this is not the case for everyone. Together, let's return to the forgotten, those who left only their world coronation.

Let's leave Nicolás Terol, and let's go back in time. Our first thief has only raced a few full seasons in Grands Prix for only 62 starts, and yet, that is enough. At age 21 in 1984, Manuel Herreros made its debut in the world championship, in the brand new 80cc class which replaced the 50cc, but also in 125cc. On Derbi, the Spaniard from this first golden generation with other names that we will mention later feels good in the smallest of the categories. From 1985, his first full season at the highest level, Herreros made an impression and regularly reached the podium. The class is then fiercely contested. We find there, for example, the forgotten Gerd Kafka, But also “boss” at the time, Stefan Dörflinger, Jorge Martinez or even an aging one but still devilishly fast Angel Nieto.

Among all these beautiful people, Herreros manages to find a place of honor for himself. Very strong, he finished vice-world champion in 1986 behind his compatriot Martínez, who, definitely, never leaves us. It was during this season that he won his first world race, at the German GP. Same scenario in 1987, with a victory, but a “Aspar” way too strong for the competition. Once again vice-champion, Manuel does not admit defeat. However, the 80cc are in trouble. The smallest displacement is no longer as convincing, and the calendars are shortened. Still on Derbi, he had a mixed season, finishing in 4th place.

The year 1989 was his chance. While all eyes are on the 500cc category and the legendary battle between Lawson, Rainey, Schwantz and Sarron, Manuel Herreros stands out in the absence of a great Martínez. The 80cc only race six races in the world championship, which included 15 for the premier category. The Spaniard can no longer win. He is particularly consistent, and takes the title without winning a single race! An unprecedented fact on two wheels, which will be reproduced, as you undoubtedly know, by Emilio Alzamora in 1999. This season, which saw two victories of Peter Öttl, was the last of the 80cc.

 

Once the displacement was simply removed, “Champi” Herreros tried to convert to 125cc on JJ Cobas. Without success. A catastrophic year 1990, which led to an effective retirement in mid-season 1991. His status as the last champion of a class which was no longer popular with the public, in addition to the lack of results afterwards, made us forget Champi. However, it is impossible to cite this Spanish generation full of talent (Criville, Martínez, Torrontegui, Carlos Cardús…) without mentioning it.

Our second topic concerns a fairly similar career. Only 66 Grand Prix starts, but the title at the end of the day. Born in Florence in 1968, Alessandro Gramigni made his debut at age 22, in 1990, 125cc category. While he had dominated amateur competitions in the past, he found fiercer competition there, but not unbeatable. After a first half of the season of acclimatization, Gramigni overcame fate and reached the podium in Sweden, then in Czechoslovakia. With a promising 9th place overall. The Italian handles his Aprilia well. So much so that he progressed again in 1991, this time 7th in the ranking. On the Brno track, which he particularly likes, Alessandro wins for the first time, but all the attention is obviously focused on the prodigy Loris Capirossi, titled twice at just 19 years old.

At that time, Gramigni was strong, but was not among the favorites for 1993. It must be said that the grid was well stocked. Between Ralf Waldmann, Bruno Casanova, Dirk Raudies, without forgetting the eternal Jorge Martinez, the task promises to be arduous. And yet. Against all expectations, Aprilia responded from the start of the season, and Gramigni won in Malaysia with pole. He had to miss the Spanish Grand Prix, but came back stronger, with unparalleled consistency. Some Fausto Gresini is not far away, but a new victory in Hungary puts an end to all competition. Alessandro is titled with a fairly comfortable lead, accumulated during the very last outings.

 

But as for Herreros, the change of category is fatal to his career. In 250cc, he achieves nothing. Rarely have we seen, in history, such a decline in such a short time. During the 1993 season, he was 30th with a total of two points on Gilera! The year 1994 was not much more successful, with a series of six consecutive retirements in the last races. A few stints in 1995 with a Honda, and that's already the end of it for the world champion. Terrible destiny.

Unless ? Against all expectations, and after a two-year break, Aprilia called on him to replace Doriano Romboni in 500cc! He accepts at short notice, but the experiment comes to nothing. Subsequently, he tried as best he could to bounce back into Superbike on Ducati then Yamaha until 2005, but without much success. His victory in the Italian SBK championship acquired in 2004 is only a meager reward compared to his talent expressed in 1992. The result is yet another forgotten champion.

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Cover photo: Box Repsol