Carlos Alberto Lavado Jones (born May 25, 1956) is a Venezuelan former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer.[1][2] He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1978 to 1992. Lavado is notable for winning two 250cc road racing world championships in 1983 and 1986.[1] He joins Johnny Cecotto as the only two Venezuelans to win Grand Prix World Championships.[2][3]

Carlos Lavado
Lavado in 2013
NationalityVenezuelan
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1978 - 1992
First race1978 250cc Venezuelan Grand Prix
Last race1992 250cc South African Grand Prix
First win1979 350cc Venezuelan Grand Prix
Last win1987 250cc Yugoslavian Grand Prix
Team(s)Yamaha
Championships250cc - 1983, 1986
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
137 19 42 22 13

Motorcycle racing career edit

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Lavado made his international racing debut in the 1978 Venezuelan Grand Prix, finishing second in the 250cc class.[1] The following season, he won the 350cc class at the 1979 Venezuelan Grand Prix.[1]

 
Lavado enroute to a victory at the 1980 250cc Dutch TT.

In 1980, he began competing full-time on the Grand Prix circuit.[1] He went on to win the 250cc World Championship in 1983 and repeated the feat in 1986, both times on a Yamaha TZ 250.[1] At the 1983 Dutch TT, Lavado and Iván 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.[4][5]

In fifteen seasons of Grand Prix competition (1978–1992), he participated in 137 races, 125 of them in the 250cc division.[1] He had 36 podium finishes and 17 victories in the 250cc class and 6 podium finishes with 2 victories in the 350cc division.[1] After he retired from competition, he continued his involvement in Grand Prix racing serving as advisor to Venezuelan motorcycle racers Robertino Pietri and Gabriel Ramos.[3]

Motorcycle Grand Prix Results edit

Points system from 1969 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
1978 250cc Yamaha VEN
2
ESP
-
FRA
-
NAT
-
NED
-
BEL
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
GBR
-
GER
-
CZE
-
YUG
-
12 17th 0
1979 350cc Yamaha VEN
1
AUT
-
GER
-
NAT
-
ESP
-
YUG
-
NED
-
FIN
-
GBR
-
CZE
-
FRA
-
15 14th 1
1980 250cc Yamaha NAT
-
ESP
9
FRA
7
YUG
4
NED
1
BEL
-
FIN
-
GBR
-
CZE
-
GER
-
29 6th 1
350cc Yamaha NAT
-
FRA
-
NED
5
GBR
-
CZE
9
GER
-
8 13th 0
1981 250cc Yamaha ARG
-
GER
2
NAT
-
FRA
3
ESP
3
NED
2
BEL
2
RSM
-
GBR
-
FIN
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
56 4th 0
350cc Yamaha ARG
3
AUT
5
GER
-
NAT
8
YUG
3
NED
2
GBR
-
CZE
-
41 5th 0
1982 250cc Yamaha FRA
-
ESP
1
NAT
-
NED
-
BEL
-
YUG
-
GBR
8
SWE
-
FIN
5
CZE
1
RSM
-
GER
-
39 5th 2
350cc Yamaha ARG
1
AUT
-
FRA
-
NAT
2
NED
-
GBR
4
FIN
-
CZE
10
GER
-
36 5th 1
1983 250cc Yamaha RSA
7
FRA
Ret
NAT
1
GER
1
ESP
7
AUT
7
YUG
1
NED
1
BEL
3
GBR
4
SWE
3
100 1st 4
1984 250cc Yamaha RSA
9
NAT
15
ESP
3
AUT
5
GER
5
FRA
2
YUG
Ret
NED
1
BEL
Ret
GBR
3
SWE
7
RSM
2
77 3rd 1
1985 250cc Yamaha RSA
4
ESP
1
GER
Ret
NAT
2
AUT
9
YUG
2
NED
Ret
BEL
2
FRA
5
GBR
Ret
SWE
2
RSM
1
94 3rd 2
1986 250cc Yamaha ESP
1
NAT
2
GER
1
AUT
1
YUG
Ret
NED
1
BEL
Ret
FRA
1
GBR
2
SWE
1
RSM
Ret
114 1st 6
1987 250cc Yamaha JPN
-
ESP
10
GER
6
NAT
6
AUT
8
YUG
1
NED
10
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
SWE
4
CZE
-
RSM
-
POR
Ret
BRA
5
ARG
9
46 10th 1
1988 250cc Yamaha JPN
13
USA
Ret
ESP
Ret
EXP
Ret
NAT
7
GER
Ret
AUT
Ret
NED
Ret
BEL
5
YUG
-
FRA
-
GBR
8
SWE
Ret
CZE
9
BRA
2
55 11th 0
1989 250cc Aprilia JPN
-
AUS
-
USA
-
ESP
-
NAT
-
GER
-
AUT
-
YUG
-
NED
10
BEL
15
FRA
18
GBR
8
SWE
Ret
CZE
9
BRA
7
31 17th 0
1990 250cc Aprilia JPN
Ret
USA
15
ESP
Ret
NAT
11
GER
12
AUT
Ret
YUG
9
NED
9
BEL
4
FRA
Ret
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
HUN
-
AUS
-
37 15th 0
1991 250cc Yamaha JPN
25
AUS
10
USA
12
ESP
11
ITA
14
GER
15
AUT
DNS
EUR NED
9
FRA
16
GBR
17
RSM
7
CZE
DNQ
VDM MAL 34 14th 0
1992 250cc Gilera JPN
Ret
AUS
14
MAL
Ret
ESP
Ret
ITA
12
EUR
Ret
GER
13
NED
9
HUN
9
FRA
20
GBR
13
BRA
14
RSA
15
29 19th 0

[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Carlos Lavado career statistics". motogp.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  2. ^ a b "Carlos Lavado profile". global.yamaha-motor.com. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  3. ^ a b "Yamaha Recognizes Two-Time 250cc World Champion Carlos Lavado". roadracingworld.com. 22 November 2011. Retrieved February 24, 2012.
  4. ^ Clifford, Peter (1983), Motocourse 1983-1984, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 0-905138-26-0, Anyway, it was the first one-two Grand Prix for Venezuela.
  5. ^ "1983 250cc Dutch TT results". MotoGP.com. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 16 October 2018.