Motorcycle racing and Formula 1 demand different techniques, machinery and career paths. John Surtees mastered both at championship level. He won seven Grand Prix motorcycle world titles, then switched his focus to cars and became the 1964 Formula 1 world champion. No other person has won premier world championships on both two wheels and four.
Seven titles before Formula 1
Surtees grew up around motorcycles and entered international Grand Prix racing in the 1950s. His first world championship came in the 500cc class in 1956. He later dominated both major classes, taking the 350cc and 500cc titles in each of 1958, 1959 and 1960. That produced seven championships: four in 500cc and three in 350cc.
MotoGP’s official rider profile recounts his motorcycle career, while a MotoGP remembrance identifies him as the only rider to win world titles in motorcycle racing and Formula 1. He was not leaving bikes because success had dried up: he moved to cars while still at the top.
A remarkably fast transition
Surtees made his Formula 1 World Championship debut in 1960. He finished second in only his second championship Grand Prix, at Silverstone, and took pole position at his next appearance in Portugal. The speed of that adjustment matters. A motorcycle rider controls balance with his whole body; a Formula 1 driver works through a steering wheel, pedals and the grip available from four tires.
After racing for Lotus, Cooper and Lola, Surtees joined Ferrari. He won the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 1963 and repeated the victory in 1964. Formula 1’s official 1964 results also record his Italian Grand Prix win at Monza.
The 1964 finale
The championship went to the final round in Mexico. Surtees, Graham Hill and Jim Clark all remained in contention. Clark led much of the race but suffered an oil-related failure late. Ferrari teammate Lorenzo Bandini allowed Surtees through to second place, which supplied enough points for the title.
The official final standings list Surtees as the 1964 champion. Formula 1’s account of the decisive season describes him emerging as the first—and still only—person to win world championships on two and four wheels. The FIA has likewise called him the only world champion in both forms of racing.
Surtees’ achievement is not simply a curiosity from a less specialized era. He reached the highest level of two disciplines where mistakes carried enormous consequences, adapted quickly and won against established specialists. Seven motorcycle crowns established his first career; the Formula 1 title made his record unique.
Sources and further reading
- Formula 1: Surtees’ unique bike-car double
- MotoGP: John Surtees rider profile
- Formula 1: 1964 drivers’ standings
- Ferrari: Hero of the Two Worlds
