Iván Palazzese

Iván Palazzese (2 January 1962 – 28 May 1989) was an Italian born Venezuelan professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix road racing world championships from 1977 to 1989. In 1977, he became the youngest person at the time to stand on a Grand Prix podium, when he finished third behind Angel Nieto and Anton Mang at the 125cc Venezuelan Grand Prix at the age of 15.

Motorcycle racing career

Palazzese was born in Alba Adriatica in the Abruzzo region of central eastern Italy. His family emigrated to Venezuela when he was a child and he became a Venezuelan citizen. Palazzese began his racing career as a teenager, riding a Morbidelli 125 at the San Carlos Circuit.

He returned to Europe to compete in the Grand Prix world championships as a member of the Venemotos Yamaha racing team alongside his teammates, Johnny Cecotto and Carlos Lavado. Palazzese had his best year in 1982 when he won two 125cc Grands Prix and finished the season in third place, behind Angel Nieto and Eugenio Lazzarini. At the 1983 Dutch TT, Lavado and Palazzese finished in first and second place marking the first time that Venezuelan riders had claimed the top two places in a world championship Grand Prix race.

Palazzese was killed in a racing accident at the 1989 German Grand Prix at the Hockenheimring. He was closely following Andreas Preining when the latter's motorcycle engine seized and abruptly slowed, causing Palazzese to collide with Preining and subsequently crash. While Palazzese was picking himself up off the ground, he was struck by riders Bruno Bonhuil and Fabio Barchitta who both crashed. It was fellow rider Virginio Ferrari who stopped his bike and first came to Palazzese's aid, but Palazzese was already dead having sustained massive chest injuries. He was 27 years old.

There is a monument erected in his honor in the Italian city of Alba Adriatica, where Palazzese was born.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Source:

Points system from 1968 to 1987

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1

Points system from 1988 to 1992

Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15
Points	20	17	15	13	11	10	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Class	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	Points	Rank	Wins
1977	125cc	Morbidelli	VEN 3	AUT -	GER -	NAT -	ESP -	FRA -	YUG -	NED -	BEL -	SWE -	FIN -	GBR -				10	16th	0
1980	125cc	Morbidelli	NAT 6	ESP 2	FRA -	YUG -	NED -	BEL -	FIN -	GBR 4	CZE 8	GER -						28	7th	0
1981	125cc	Morbidelli	ARG RET	AUT -	GER -	NAT -	FRA 7	ESP 2	YUG 6	NED 5		RSM RET	GBR -	FIN -	SWE 3	CZE -		37	7th	0
1982	125cc	Morbidelli	ARG 5	AUT RET	FRA -	ESP RET	NAT -	NED 6	BEL RET	YUG 5	GBR 5	SWE 1	FIN 1	CZE 2				75	3rd	2
1983	250cc	Venemotos Yamaha	RSA 10	FRA 14	NAT 8	GER RET	ESP 10	AUT 18	YUG RET	NED 2	BEL 8	GBR 16	SWE 15					20	13th	0
1984	250cc	Venemotos Yamaha	RSA 8	NAT RET	ESP RET	AUT -	GER RET	FRA DNQ	YUG 6	NED 20	BEL 4	GBR DNS	SWE 16	RSM 12				16	15th	0
1985	250cc	Venemotos Yamaha	RSA 14	ESP 17	GER RET	NAT 16	AUT RET	YUG -	NED -	BEL -	FRA -	GBR -	SWE -	RSM -				0	-	0
1986	250cc	Rotax	ESP -	NAT 20	GER -	AUT -	YUG -	NED -	BEL -	FRA -	GBR -	SWE -	RSM -					0	-	0
1987	250cc	F.M.V. Yamaha	JPN -	ESP -	GER -	NAT -	AUT -	YUG 10	NED -	FRA -	GBR -	SWE -	CZE 8	RSM 12	POR -	BRA -	ARG -	16	9th	0
1988	250cc	Team Manoca-Yamaha	JPN -	USA -	ESP -	EXP 21	NAT -	GER -	AUT 9	NED 13	BEL -	YUG -	FRA -	GBR 11	SWE 6	CZE 17	BRA -	25	18th	0
1989	250cc	Aprilia	JPN -	AUS 18	USA 11	ESP 11	NAT 7	GER -	AUT -	YUG -	NED -	BEL -	FRA -	GBR -	SWE -	CZE -	BRA -	19	22nd	0