Johnny Cecotto

Johnny Cecotto (born 25 January 1956) is a Venezuelan former professional motorcycle racer and auto racer. He even raced in Formula One where he competed for Theodore and Toleman in 1983 and 1984. Cecotto rose to prominence as a teenage prodigy in 1975, when he became the youngest motorcycle world champion at the age of 19.

At the age of 24, after a few injuries, Cecotto turned his attention to auto racing and made his four-wheel debut straight into the 1980 Formula Two Championship with Minardi. He showed speed and in the 1982 Formula 2 season, driving a works March-BMW, he won three races and finished the season tied for first place with his team mate Corrado Fabi, but was classified runner-up.

His performance enabled him to move up to Formula One in 1983 with Theodore Racing. He had a promising start as he scored a sixth place in only his second race at Long Beach, however the team suffered from lack of funding and the rest of the season will be less scintillating.

For the 1984 season, he joined the Toleman racing team with Ayrton Senna as his team mate. He proved again to be a competent Grand Prix driver, but did not, logically, match Senna’s outstanding performance. While qualifying for the British Grand Prix, Cecotto crashed heavily, breaking both his legs, which effectively ended his Formula One career.

After recovering from his injuries, Cecotto returned to competition in the flourishing Groupe A Touring Car category with Schnitzer Motorsport BMW team, and pursued an excellent career in touring cars and in endurance racing that lasted more than a decade.