Anton Mang

Anton Mang
Nationality German
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1975 1988
First race1975 350cc Austrian Grand Prix
Last race1988 250cc Yugoslavian Grand Prix
First win1976 125cc German Grand Prix
Last win1988 250cc Japanese Grand Prix
Team(s)Kawasaki, Honda
Championships250cc - 1980, 1981, 1987
350cc - 1981, 1982
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
153 42 84 34 26 1405

Anton ("Toni") Mang (born 29 September 1949 in Inning (Starnberg) at the Ammersee) is a former five-time world champion in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from Germany.

Early life

When he was 11 he had his first experience with motorcycles on the DKW RT 125, but soon afterwards he chose skibobbing as his favored sport. He was successful at this sport, winning the German National Championship as well as the Junior European Championship in skibobbing at the age of 16.

Still, motorsports kept pulling at him and he took part in a 50cc race on a Kreidler two years later though he had to pull out of the race due to mechanical difficulties.

Professional racing

In 1970 Mang joined the reigning 125cc world champion Dieter Braun's team as his mechanic. Together with Sepp Schloegl and Alfons Zender Mang, he developed the "Schloegl Mang Zender" (SMZ 250). With this machine, he took part in a race on an airfield in Augsburg and claimed his first victory. In 1975 he won the German Championship on 350cc Yamaha. Also in 1975 he competed in his first Grand Prix at the Austrian round of the world championship.

His first Grand Prix victory came at the 1976 German Grand Prix at the 22.8 km Nordschleife Circuit at Nürburgring on a 125cc Morbidelli. His success earned him a ride with Kawasaki for the 1978 season in the 250cc and 350cc classes. In 1980 he became World Champion in the 250 cc class and runner-up in the 350cc class behind Jon Ekerold. In 1981 he won both the 250cc and 350cc World Championships and became German Sportsman of the Year. In 1982, he became the last ever 350cc World Champion as the class was abolished at the end of the year. He fell just one point short of defending his 250cc championship, despite winning five races.

In 1983 Mang moved up to the 500 cc class, but a bad injury sustained in a skiing accident at the start of the season preventing him from competing until the middle of August. He failed to finish above 10th place in any of the races. In the subsequent year, 1984, Mang returned to the 250 cc class and finished 5th in the World Championship on a private 250 cc Yamaha. In 1985, a strong performance by Freddie Spencer left him in second place in the championship. 1986 saw him finish in 4th place in the series. Moreover, the fruitful collaboration with his chief mechanic and friend Sepp Schloegl came to an end.

In 1987 he became 250cc World Champion for the third time with 8 consecutive victories. At 38, he was the oldest World Champion in the history of Grand Prix motorcycle racing history. He started the 1988 season with a victory, but injuries sustained in a bad crash in the Rijeka race in Yugoslavia forced him into retirement. Mang retired with a lifetime total of 42 GP wins. The FIM named him a Grand Prix "Legend" in 2001.[1]

Like Angel Nieto on lighter 50cc and 125cc machinery, Mang specialized in medium-sized 250cc and 350cc bikes, winning all 5 of his championships on medium bikes.

Motorcycle Grand Prix results [2]

Points system from 1968 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
1975 350cc SMZ FRA
-
ESP
-
AUT
6
GER
-
NAT
-
IOM
-
NED
-
FIN
-
CZE
-
YUG
-
5 26th 0
1976 125cc Morbidelli FRA
-
NAT
-
NED
6
BEL
13
SWE
-
FIN
7
GER
1
ESP
4
32 5th 1
1977 125cc Morbidelli VEN
2
AUT
-
GER
3
NAT
4
ESP
-
FRA
-
YUG
7
NED
4
BEL
3
SWE
14
FIN
-
GBR
8
55 5th 0
500cc Suzuki VEN
-
AUT
-
GER
8
NAT
10
FRA
-
NED
-
BEL
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
CZE
-
GBR
-
4 25th 0
1978 250cc Kawasaki VEN
7
ESP
-
FRA
-
NAT
-
NED
-
BEL
7
SWE
9
FIN
4
GBR
1
GER
5
CZE
10
YUG
2
52 5th 1
350cc Kawasaki VEN
-
AUT
-
FRA
-
NAT
-
NED
-
SWE
-
FIN
-
GBR
-
GER
6
CZE
7
YUG
6
14 16th 0
1979 250cc Kawasaki VEN
-
GER
3
NAT
-
ESP
10
YUG
6
NED
4
BEL
DNS
SWE
4
FIN
-
GBR
3
CZE
4
FRA
5
56 6th 0
350cc Kawasaki VEN
-
AUT
3
GER
2
NAT
4
ESP
-
YUG
6
NED
4
FIN
4
GBR
-
CZE
2
FRA
-
63 4th 0
1980 250cc Kawasaki NAT
1
ESP
2
FRA
2
YUG
1
NED
3
BEL
1
FIN
2
GBR
2
CZE
1
GER
3
128 1st 4
350cc Kawasaki NAT
-
FRA
4
NED
3
GBR
1
CZE
1
GER
2
60 2nd 2
1981 250cc Kawasaki ARG
-
GER
1
NAT
3
FRA
1
ESP
1
NED
1
BEL
1
RSM
1
GBR
1
FIN
1
SWE
1
CZE
1
160 1st 10
350cc Kawasaki ARG
7
AUT
2
GER
1
NAT
2
YUG
1
NED
1
GBR
1
CZE
1
103 1st 5
1982 250cc Kawasaki FRA
-
ESP
3
NAT
1
NED
1
BEL
1
YUG
-
GBR
2
SWE
2
FIN
6
CZE
8
RSM
1
GER
1
117 2nd 5
350cc Kawasaki ARG
-
AUT
2
FRA
-
NAT
4
NED
2
GBR
3
FIN
1
CZE
2
GER
2
81 1st 1
1983 500cc Suzuki RSA
-
FRA
-
NAT
-
GER
-
ESP
-
AUT
NC
YUG
-
NED
-
BEL
-
GBR
12
SWE
10
RSM
10
2 18th 0
1984 250cc Yamaha RSA
5
NAT
10
ESP
7
AUT
2
GER
4
FRA
1
YUG
NC
NED
4
BEL
7
GBR
11
SWE
DNF
RSM
8
61 5th 1
1985 250cc Honda RSA
2
ESP
3
GER
3
NAT
5
AUT
2
YUG
NC
NED
3
BEL
3
FRA
2
GBR
1
SWE
1
RSM
2
124 2nd 2
1986 250cc Honda ESP
2
NAT
1
GER
2
AUT
-
YUG
NC
NED
2
BEL
18
FRA
-
GBR
NC
SWE
NC
RSM
4
65 4th 1
1987 250cc Honda JPN
8
ESP
NC
GER
1
NAT
1
AUT
1
YUG
7
NED
1
FRA
NC
GBR
1
SWE
1
CZE
1
RSM
6
POR
1
BRA
7
ARG
NC
136 1st 8
1988 250cc Honda JPN
1
USA
8
ESP
NC
EXP
7
NAT
10
GER
8
AUT
10
NED
3
BEL
3
YUG
DNF
FRA
-
GBR
-
SWE
-
CZE
-
BRA
-
87 8th 1

References


Awards
Preceded by
Germany Guido Kratschmer
German Sportsman of the Year
1981
Succeeded by
Germany Michael Groß
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Kork Ballington
250cc Motorcycle World Champion
1980-1981
Succeeded by
Jean-Louis Tournadre
Preceded by
Carlos Lavado
250cc Motorcycle World Champion
1987
Succeeded by
Sito Pons
Preceded by
Jon Ekerold
350cc Motorcycle World Champion
1981-1982
Succeeded by
none
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