Bruno Ruffo (9 December 1920 – 10 February 2007 ) was an Italian

Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural ''Grands Prix'') most commonly refers to: * Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition ** List of Formula One Grands Prix, an auto-racing championship *** Monaco Grand Prix, the most prestigious ...

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal motor vehicle Steering, steered by a Motorcycle handlebar, handlebar from a saddle-style ...

road racer born in

Verona Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...

. He won three

World Championships A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...

. In

1949 Events January * January 1 – A United Nations-sponsored ceasefire brings an end to the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947. The war results in a stalemate and the division of Kashmir, which still continues as of 2025 * January 2 – Luis ...

he won the inaugural 250cc World Championship riding for the Italian

Moto Guzzi Moto Guzzi () is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. Established in 1921 in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the company is noted for its historic role in Italy's motorcyclin ...

factory. During the

1950 Events January * January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed. * January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 ...

season, Ruffo was annoyed that Moto Guzzi instructed him to let his teammate win the Championship that year while he finished third. That same year, Ruffo rode a Mondial to claim the 125cc World Championship. In

1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the Uni ...

he once again captured the 250cc World Champion with four victories. Ruffo retired in 1952 after an accident and opened a successful vehicle hire business in Verona.Bruno Ruffo profile at Motorsport Memorial
/ref> He died at 86 years old.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

1949 point system Points system from 1950 to 1968 5 best results were counted up until 1955. ( key) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)

References

Italian motorcycle racers 500cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders 125cc World Championship riders Isle of Man TT riders Sportspeople from Verona 1920 births 2007 deaths 250cc World Riders' Champions 125cc World Riders' Champions {{Italy-motorcycle-racing-bio-stub