The Early Years Of Fausto Gresini

Before Gresini Racing became a world championship-winning team, Fausto Gresini was a fixture in the 125cc world championships as a rider. He won two 125cc world championships, finished runnerup three times, and third once, with 25 Grands Prix wins.

- Norm Dewitt

Watching the racing in his native Imola, Gresini was drawn to the sport, especially the famous F750 races held there, featuring his hero, Marco Lucchinelli.

Fausto: “Day by day it improved – the passion. My first motorcycle, in 1979, was a Minarelli, a 50cc race bike. For my first race, at Misano, I was aged 17 and retired with a broken engine. Then in my second race, I crashed... it got better.

“I spent only one year on the 50cc and then moved to the Aspes 125cc trophy for 1980. The 125cc Italian championship was in 1981, and I modified the Aspes with a different frame and for 1982 I used a Mallanca and won four or five races, but not the championship. It was crash or win, I was very aggressive”.

People often underestimate the challenge of racing a 125 Grand Prix machine. Kel Carruthers: “People don't realize just how much effort you had to put into riding a 125. You make a little mistake on a 125 and you’ve lost ground. On a bigger bike, you make a little mistake and get back on it again and not lose all that much.

“The best lap I ever did at the Isle of Man was a little CR93 Honda going around at like 89mph, and it was a perfect lap almost. You have to be tucked in all the way.” And there was an exception to that rule as well.

Kel: “I’ve been down Bray Hill at 160mph, and on the 125 I’d be sitting up watching the rev counter because you didn’t dare go over 14,000 rpm and the five-speed was geared for Sulby Straight, not for going down the big hills. So, I’d look like some dummy coming down Bray Hill sitting upon a 125…”

As they say, it is easier to smooth out a fast guy, than to speed up a slow guy, and Fausto was moving up into the European championship and 125 world championships.