Phil Read
In the 1979 Birthday Honours, Read was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) "for services to motor cycle racing".
His first road machine was a Velocette KSS which he started on at the UK legal-minimum riding age of sixteen in 1955, followed by a BSA Gold Star DBD32.
[11][12] The 1963 Isle of Man Senior TT was won by Mike Hailwood on an MV, while the Duke team came 2nd (John Hartle) and 3rd (Read).
In the following Dutch TT at Assen, the finishing order was: 1st (Hartle), 2nd (Read), with Mike Hailwood's MV retiring in the 500cc class.
The Yamaha factory had wanted Read to concentrate on winning the 125cc title and teammate Bill Ivy to take the 250cc crown.
Read returned full-time to the Grands Prix circuit in 1971 on a very special privateer production Yamaha developed under the direction of the Dutchman, Ferry Brouwer with twin disc brakes, improved horsepower and aerodynamics together with help from Eric Cheney (frame), Helmut Fath (dry clutch) and Rod Quaife (six speed transmission) but no factory support.
Rutter was soon replaced by John Cooper On the MV he gave Agostini's Yamaha a strong fight for the 1975 500cc championship but finished in second place.
[1] Realizing the writing was on the wall for four-stroke machinery, he left the Italian company to campaign a privateer Suzuki in the 1976 season after which he retired from Grand Prix racing.
He competed in the 1978 TT against Mike Hailwood, who made a famous comeback riding a Ducati 900SS provided by Manchester dealer Sports Motorcycles.
[24][26] In certain aspects the comments were justified and resulted in the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme taking the decision that the Isle of Man TT would be withdrawn from the World Championship calendar after the 1976 races.
However the decision did cause a high degree of dissatisfaction with many pure road racing fans and resulted in some, not least those on the Isle of Man, forming a dislike of Read.
[27][28] However in his defence Read always maintained that his sentiment reflected riders being contractually required to race at the Isle of Man as part of a World Championship campaign, as opposed to having the freedom of conscience governing their decision.
[25] In time most fans came to accept the conclusions taken in 1972 and for many years both Read and Agostini, along with many other former competitors, were frequent guests at the TT Races where they would ride on exhibition and parade laps.
1949 L. Graham 1950 U. Masetti 1951 G. Duke 1952 U. Masetti 1953 G. Duke 1954 G. Duke 1955 G. Duke 1956 J. Surtees 1957 L. Liberati 1958 J. Surtees 1959 J. Surtees 1960 J. Surtees 1961 G. Hocking 1962 M. Hailwood 1963 M. Hailwood 1964 M. Hailwood 1965 M. Hailwood 1966 G. Agostini 1967 G. Agostini 1968 G. Agostini 1969 G. Agostini 1970 G. Agostini 1971 G. Agostini 1972 G. Agostini 1973 P. Read 1974 P. Read 1975 G. Agostini 1976 B. Sheene 1977 B. Sheene 1978 K. Roberts 1979 K. Roberts 1980 K. Roberts 1981 M. Lucchinelli 1982 F. Uncini 1983 F. Spencer 1984 E. Lawson 1985 F. Spencer 1986 E. Lawson 1987 W. Gardner 1988 E. Lawson 1989 E. Lawson 1990 W. Rainey 1991 W. Rainey 1992 W. Rainey 1993 K. Schwantz 1994 M. Doohan 1995 M. Doohan 1996 M. Doohan 1997 M. Doohan 1998 M. Doohan 1999 À. Crivillé 2000 K. Roberts Jr. 2001 V. Rossi 2002 V. Rossi 2003 V. Rossi 2004 V. Rossi 2005 V. Rossi 2006 N. Hayden 2007 C. Stoner 2008 V. Rossi 2009 V. Rossi 2010 J. Lorenzo 2011 C. Stoner 2012 J. Lorenzo 2013 M. Márquez 2014 M. Márquez 2015 J. Lorenzo 2016 M. Márquez 2017 M. Márquez 2018 M. Márquez 2019 M. Márquez 2020 J. Mir 2021 F. Quartararo 2022 F. Bagnaia 2023 F. Bagnaia 2024 J. Martín 1949 B. Ruffo 1950 D. Ambrosini 1951 B. Ruffo 1952 E. Lorenzetti 1953 W. Haas 1954 W. Haas 1955 H. Müller 1956 C. Ubbiali 1957 C. Sandford 1958 T. Provini 1959 C. Ubbiali 1960 C. Ubbiali 1961 M. Hailwood 1962 J. Redman 1963 J. Redman 1964 P. Read 1965 P. Read 1966 M. Hailwood 1967 M. Hailwood 1968 P. Read 1969 K. Carruthers 1970 R. Gould 1971 P. Read 1972 J. Saarinen 1973 D. Braun 1974 W. Villa 1975 W. Villa 1976 W. Villa 1977 M. Lega 1978 K. Ballington 1979 K. Ballington 1980 A. Mang 1981 A. Mang 1982 J. Tournadre 1983 C. Lavado 1984 C. Sarron 1985 F. Spencer 1986 C. Lavado 1987 A. Mang 1988 S. Pons 1989 S. Pons 1990 J. Kocinski 1991 L. Cadalora 1992 L. Cadalora 1993 T. Harada 1994 M. Biaggi 1995 M. Biaggi 1996 M. Biaggi 1997 M. Biaggi 1998 L. Capirossi 1999 V. Rossi 2000 O. Jacque 2001 D. Kato 2002 M. Melandri 2003 M. Poggiali 2004 D. Pedrosa 2005 D. Pedrosa 2006 J. Lorenzo 2007 J. Lorenzo 2008 M. Simoncelli 2009 H. Aoyama 2010 T. Elías 2011 S. Bradl 2012 M. Márquez 2013 P. Espargaró 2014 T. Rabat 2015 J. Zarco 2016 J. Zarco 2017 F. Morbidelli 2018 F. Bagnaia 2019 Á. Márquez 2020 E. Bastianini 2021 R. Gardner 2022 A. Fernández 2023 P. Acosta 2024 A. Ogura 1949 N. Pagani 1950 B. Ruffo 1951 C. Ubbiali 1952 C. Sandford 1953 W. Haas 1954 R. Hollaus 1955 C. Ubbiali 1956 C. Ubbiali 1957 T. Provini 1958 C. Ubbiali 1959 C. Ubbiali 1960 C. Ubbiali 1961 T. Phillis 1962 L. Taveri 1963 H. Anderson 1964 L. Taveri 1965 H. Anderson 1966 L. Taveri 1967 B. Ivy 1968 P. Read 1969 D. Simmonds 1970 D. Braun 1971 Á. Nieto 1972 Á. Nieto 1973 K. Andersson 1974 K. Andersson 1975 P. Pileri 1976 P. Bianchi 1977 P. Bianchi 1978 E. Lazzarini 1979 Á. Nieto 1980 P. Bianchi 1981 Á. Nieto 1982 Á. Nieto 1983 Á. Nieto 1984 Á. Nieto 1985 F. Gresini 1986 L. Cadalora 1987 F. Gresini 1988 J. Martínez 1989 À. Crivillé 1990 L. Capirossi 1991 L. Capirossi 1992 A. Gramigni 1993 D. Raudies 1994 K. Sakata 1995 H. Aoki 1996 H. Aoki 1997 V. Rossi 1998 K. Sakata 1999 E. Alzamora 2000 R. Locatelli 2001 M. Poggiali 2002 A. Vincent 2003 D. Pedrosa 2004 A. Dovizioso 2005 T. Lüthi 2006 Á. Bautista 2007 G. Talmácsi 2008 M. Di Meglio 2009 J. Simón 2010 M. Márquez 2011 N. Terol 2012 S. Cortese 2013 M. Viñales 2014 Á. Márquez 2015 D. Kent 2016 B. Binder 2017 J. Mir 2018 J. Martín 2019 L. Dalla Porta 2020 A. Arenas 2021 P. Acosta 2022 I. Guevara 2023 J. Masià 2024 D. Alonso
