Mike Di Meglio
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Mickaël Di Meglio (born 17 January 1988) is a French
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 and three-time world champion claiming the 2008 125cc title,afp.google.com, France's Di Meglio wins motorcycle 125cc world championship
as well as winning the
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& 2017-2018 FIM Endurance World Championship. Since the 2018–19 FIM EWC season, Di Meglio has raced for F.C.C. TSR Honda France. From 2019 on, he also competes in the
MotoE World Cup The FIM Enel MotoE World Championship (formerly known as the MotoE World Cup) is a class of motorcycle racing that uses only electric motorcycles. The series is sanctioned by the FIM and the inaugural season in 2019 was due to support MotoGP ...
aboard an
Energica Ego The Energica Ego is an electrically propelled sport road motorcycle designed and marketed by Energica Motor Company. It is claimed by Energica to be the world's first street-legal electric Italian sport motorcycle. The prototype was finished in ...
Corsa. He twice won the
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endurance race in 2017 on Yamaha and in 2020 on the Honda CBR. He also twice won the Bol d'Or 24-hour
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 ...
endurance race on
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. In 2017 Yamaha and 2018
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
. Di Meglio first came to the attention of the Fédération Française de Motocyclisme (French Motorcycle Federation) 2002 Prix de l'Avenir. He also took a trial with the Liegois team in Carole, with whom he took part in a Spanish Championship race. Later he raced at world championship level between 2003 and 2015.


Early life

Di Meglio was born in
Toulouse Toulouse (, ; ; ) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Haute-Garonne department and of the Occitania (administrative region), Occitania region. The city is on the banks of the Garonne, River Garonne, from ...
. Of Italian descent, his paternal grandfather was born in
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( Province of Siracusa).


Career


125cc World Championship


2003

When Di Meglio turned 15 years old, he decided to accept offers by the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
Freesoul Racing Team on
Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and Scooter (motorcycle), scooter manufacturer in Noale, Italy, founded by Alberto Beggio. History Early days Aprilia, named after the Pre-war automobile, pre-war Lancia Aprilia, was founded after the Seco ...
to debut in the 125cc world championship in
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. Although he managed to score points, including 13th place at
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, it was a difficult season for him, crashing often and not achieving good results. Later, at the mid-season, he was offered by the Italian MetaSystem Rg Service to replace Italian veteran Andrea Ballerini, but this time the team was on
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
, he tried to attempt to achieve his goals, but he failed to improve and didn't score any championship points.


2004

After a disappointing 2003, Di Meglio vowed to salvage a wrecked debut. He signed with Globet.com Racing on
Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and Scooter (motorcycle), scooter manufacturer in Noale, Italy, founded by Alberto Beggio. History Early days Aprilia, named after the Pre-war automobile, pre-war Lancia Aprilia, was founded after the Seco ...
alongside Gino Borsoi for the
2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season The 2004 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 56th F.I.M. Road racing World Championship season. The season consisted of 16 races, beginning with the South African motorcycle Grand Prix on 18 April 2004 and ending with the Valencian Comm ...
. The start was promising with a front-row start and a fifth-place finish at
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, but he failed to be consistent due to several crashes.


2005

Di Meglio stayed with the same team for , but his team joined forces with Team Scot which runs on
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
machinery, the same team that helped
Andrea Dovizioso Andrea Dovizioso (born 23 March 1986) is an Italian former professional motorcycle racer. He raced with RNF Racing, WithU Yamaha RNF MotoGP Team for the 2022 MotoGP World Championship, 2022 season but announced his intended-retirement after the ...
win the 125cc World Championship. Di Meglio was their official rider on board on a factory Honda RS125RW along with Fabrizio Lai but it was under the Kopron Racing World name. His performance improved, scoring points regularly. He performed heroically at the
French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championship. It is one of the oldest ...
by fighting for a podium position, finishing fourth and making his home fans happy and entertained. However, it was his podium finish in the wet
British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...
by finishing second place behind
Julián Simón Julián Simón Sesmero (born 3 April 1987) is a Spanish motorcycle racer. He is best known for winning the 2009 125cc World Championship. Career 125cc World Championship Born in Villacañas, Toledo, Spain, Simón began his racing career r ...
, which gave him a reputation as a wet weather expert. He also finished a credible fourth place in the hot
Qatar Grand Prix The Qatar Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor racing event which is held in Qatar. It was held for the first time on 21 November as part of the championship at the Lusail International Circuit, and after not taking place during the season due ...
ahead of future 125cc champion
Thomas Lüthi Thomas Lüthi (born 6 September 1986) is a Swiss sporting director at Prüstel GP, and former Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He spent 19 years in Grand Prix world championships, becoming one of only nine riders to reach 300 race starts, spending ...
. The high point of the season for the Frenchman was his controversial win at the
Turkish Grand Prix The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
, when
Mika Kallio Mika Kallio (born 8 November 1982) is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racer, currently serving as the lead test and development rider for the Red Bull KTM team in MotoGP. He debuted in the 125cc World Championship with the Finnish rookie team ...
crashed and race leader Luthi had run wide to avoid him.


2006

He joined the Fédération Française de Motocyclisme's world championship team run by Alain Bronec for . The FFM Honda GP 125 team also provided him with a factory bike just like the previous season, but despite his big ambitions and a factory bike, he suffered an injury, and scored in only four races that resulted in eight points. He left the team immediately for Team Scot the following year after
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as the result of his performance with the team.


2007

For , Di Meglio returned to Team Scot, the team that had helped him win his first Grand Prix in 2005. He was teamed with the young Italian Stefano Musco. In the first few races, he managed to score championship points. He had a very bad crash during the qualifying session of the
Spanish Grand Prix The Spanish Grand Prix (, ) is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings ...
, breaking his collarbone and was forced to miss the
Turkish Grand Prix The Turkish Grand Prix () is a Formula One motor race held at Istanbul Park, designed by Hermann Tilke. The race was part of the Formula One World Championship between and , and to , the latter two being due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fel ...
as a result. He returned in
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
to a fourteenth-place finish and followed that with a ninth place at
Le Mans Le Mans (; ) is a Communes of France, city in Northwestern France on the Sarthe (river), Sarthe River where it meets the Huisne. Traditionally the capital of the Provinces of France, province of Maine (province), Maine, it is now the capital of ...
. A front row start at Mugello did not come to much either as he crashed out on the third lap of the race. After this, several disappointing race results followed except in the wet race at Donington, where he finished in sixth place and in
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, where he finished fourth despite crashing out of second place while chasing race leader
Mattia Pasini Mattia Pasini (born 13 August 1985) is an Italian Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Career Early career Pasini participated in his first race at the age of 9. In 1998, aged 13, he suffered a serious motocross accident that left him with sever ...
.


2008

For , he was offered to ride with the Finnish
Ajo Motorsport Ajo Motorsport is a Finnish Grand Prix motorcycle racing team, currently competing in the Moto2 and Moto3 classes under the name Red Bull KTM Ajo. The team's founder and principal is former racer Aki Ajo. His son, former racer Niklas Ajo, is als ...
, teamed with Dominique Aegerter. He returned to
Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and Scooter (motorcycle), scooter manufacturer in Noale, Italy, founded by Alberto Beggio. History Early days Aprilia, named after the Pre-war automobile, pre-war Lancia Aprilia, was founded after the Seco ...
machines, but officially rides for Aprilia's sister
Piaggio Piaggio Group () is an Italian motor vehicle manufacturer, which produces a range of two-wheeled motor vehicles and compact commercial vehicles under five brands: Piaggio, Vespa, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Derbi. Its corporate headquarters are ...
company,
Derbi Derbi is a manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and recreational all-terrain vehicles produced by Nacional Motor S.A.U., currently integrated into the Italian (2009) Piaggio Group. History Derbi's origins began with a little bicycle wo ...
. He is riding the
Derbi Derbi is a manufacturer of motorcycles, scooters, mopeds and recreational all-terrain vehicles produced by Nacional Motor S.A.U., currently integrated into the Italian (2009) Piaggio Group. History Derbi's origins began with a little bicycle wo ...
RSA 125 factory bike. His campaign started slowly within
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finishing in fourth, beaten to the podium at the line by
Stefan Bradl Stefan Bradl (born 29 November 1989) is a German professional motorcycle racer, best known for winning the Moto2 World Championship in . He then moved to MotoGP in 2012 with LCR Honda. While in MotoGP, Bradl is best known for his performance at ...
. In
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and
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, Di Meglio picked up minor points and trailed title contender Simone Corsi, but starting in
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, Corsi's pace started to slip away including a crash from a minor incident with Lorenzo Zanetti and reigning world champion Gábor Talmácsi struggling that allow Di Meglio to take full advantage. A win in the shortened
French Grand Prix The French Grand Prix (), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championship. It is one of the oldest ...
started a consistent run lasting until at
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where he crashed out while fighting for third place with Corsi. At the
Australian Grand Prix The Australian Grand Prix is an annual Formula One motor racing event, taking place in Melbourne, Victoria. The event is contracted to be held at least until 2035. One of the oldest surviving motorsport competitions held in Australia, the Gran ...
, Di Meglio became the only second Frenchman to win the world championship after
Arnaud Vincent Arnaud Vincent (born 30 November 1974) is a French former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He was the 2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror ...
.


250cc World Championship


2009

For , he moved up to the 250cc class with the
Aspar Team Aspar Team (formerly Ángel Nieto Team) is a Grand Prix motorcycle racing team from Spain, competing in the Moto2, Moto3 and MotoE World Championships. History The team was created by former world champion Jorge Martínez in 1992, when he was ...
, alongside
Álvaro Bautista Álvaro Bautista Arce (born 21 November 1984) is a Spanish people, Spanish motorcycle road racing, road racer. He won the 2022 Superbike World Championship, 2022 and 2023 Superbike World Championship, 2023 Superbike World Championship with the Du ...
. In his debut race in
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he qualified third but dropped to 11th on lap 1, before fighting back. He ran fifth in the later stages, but aggressively passed Bautista on the final lap before passing Raffaele de Rosa for third. He did not take another top five finish until round ten at Donington, but hit form from this point on. He took pole at Indianapolis, and claimed second place at Estoril in a photo-finish with
Héctor Barberá Héctor Barberá Vall (born 2 November 1986) is a Spanish Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competes in MotoAmerica aboard a BMW S1000RR. Career Born in Dos Aguas, Valencia Province, Barberá began his World Championship career at the ag ...
. He was fighting for top rookie honours with de Rosa but lost out to him as a result of crashing out in
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while de Rosa finished third.


Moto2 World Championship


2010

The saw the debut of the Moto2 class as the new intermediate class of Grand Prix racing, replacing the 250cc class. Di Meglio failed to take full advantage of it, with several poor race finishes in the first three races of the season and a crash at Mugello. Di Meglio took his first points-scoring finishes at
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and
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rounds with seventh and eighth respectively. Despite his good results at those rounds, he failed to be competitive again until
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where he finished in sixth place, having started on the front row.


2011

In , Di Meglio moved to Tech3's Moto2 programme, finishing in 23rd place.


2012

In , Di Meglio split his season between the
Speed Up Speed Up is an Italian motorcycle racing The motorcycle sport of racing (also called moto racing and motorbike racing) includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other ca ...
, MZ, and Kiefer Racing teams. He ultimately improved to 22nd place in the championship.


2013

Di Meglio switched to the JiR team for on Motobi-sponsored machinery. He finished the season in 20th position.


MotoGP World Championship


2014

Di Meglio made his premier-class debut in with Avintia Racing. He finished his rookie season in 25th place with 9 points, last of all the season regular riders.


2015

For 2015, Di Meglio was retained by Avintia, this time riding a one-year-old Ducati GP14. Despite scoring fewer points than the previous season, he made a slight improvement to finish in 24th place on the season. At the close of the season, Di Meglio was dropped by Avintia in favour of compatriot
Loris Baz Loris Baz (born 1 February 1993) is a French motorcycle racer. He is competing for the War Horse Ducati team in the 2024 Steel Commander MotoAmerica Superbike Championship. Baz has previously competed in World Superbikes for Ten Kate Racing, th ...
.


FIM Endurance World Championship


2016–2017

Following his dismissal from the MotoGP class, Di Meglio moved to endurance racing in the
FIM Endurance World Championship The Endurance World Championship ( FIM EWC) is the premier worldwide endurance championship in motorcycle road racing. The championship season consists of a series of endurance races (with a duration of six, eight, twelve or twenty-four hours) ...
with the successful French GMT94 Yamaha team, partnering riders
Niccolò Canepa Niccolò Canepa (born 14 May 1988 in Genoa) is a former Italian professional motorcycle road racer contracted from 2022 to RNF Racing in the MotoE World Cup aboard an Energica Ego Corsa. Canepa won the 2007 European Superstock 1000 Championshi ...
and David Checa. The team achieved wins at the 24 Heures Motos, Oschersleben 8 Hours, and 8 Hours of Slovakia Ring, leading GMT94 to their third team's championship and helping Yamaha to the manufacturer's championship. As Di Meglio did not compete in the first race of the
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, the Bol d'Or, he was classified 3rd in the rider's championship behind his teammates and members of the Suzuki Endurance Racing Team.


2017–2018

The following season, Di Meglio remained with GMT94 and teammates Canepa and Checa. The team achieved one win at the Bol d'Or and ultimately finished the season in 2nd place behind F.C.C. TSR
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
France.


2018–2019

For 2018–2019, Di Meglio switched to F.C.C. TSR
Honda commonly known as just Honda, is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate automotive manufacturer headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in October 1946 by Soichiro Honda, Honda has bee ...
France, replacing compatriot Alan Techer to partner Joshua Hook and Freddy Foray. They achieved wins at the Bol d'Or and Oschersleben 8 Hours, finishing the teams' and riders' championships in 2nd place behind Team SRC Kawasaki France.


MotoE World Cup


2019

In late 2018, Di Meglio was confirmed to be rejoining the Grand Prix paddock as part of the inaugural MotoE season, racing for Marc VDS. He achieved a third-place podium in the German opener, followed by a grand slam in
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(pole, win, and fastest lap), but subsequent retirements and poor finishes relegated him to just 6th position at the conclusion of the season.


Career statistics


Grand Prix motorcycle racing


By season


By class


Races by year

( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)


FIM World Endurance Championship


By team


References


External links

* *
Team Aspar web site (archived from 2010)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Di Meglio, Mike 125cc World Championship riders 250cc World Championship riders French motorcycle racers 1988 births Living people Sportspeople from Toulouse French sportspeople of Italian descent French people of Sicilian descent Moto2 World Championship riders Avintia Racing MotoGP riders Supersport World Championship riders MotoGP World Championship riders MotoE World Cup riders 125cc World Riders' Champions