GRAZIANO ROSSI: Father figure

There were some brilliant technnical minds working with Italian racer Graziano Rossi in 1979. The owner of the team he was riding for was Giancarlo Morbidelli. This was at a time when Morbidelli was a small manufacturer that in the mid-1970s had won an incredible four world titles in the 125 and 250 classes.

Those successes came from a tiny racing department made up of just a few guys. Lack of manpower aside, Morbidelli himself had flown in from Italy to assist Rossi with this round of Grand Prix action in the UK, such was his desire to get an Italian racer on top of the podium with an Italian bike.

Morbidelli, an Italian businessman with a deep love for motorcycle racing and a huge technical knowledge, often declared racing was for him a hobby, and brought along his young son. He wanted to enjoy the day and see if the long-haired racer