Taveri was born in the canton of Zürich in 1929 and made his Grand Prix debut in 1954 in the 250cc and 500cc classes. The next season he competed on 125cc and 250cc machinery, and he came runner up in 1955 in the 125cc World Championship – taking his debut win in the first race of the year. In 1962 he won his first World Championship, taking the crown in the 125cc class. He took two further Championships in the category, in 1964 and 1966, to secure his place in motorcycle racing history.

Between his debut in 1954 and his retirement at the end of 1966, the Swiss rider raced in the 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes, taking wins on 50cc, 125cc and 250cc machinery, and finishing on the podium in the 350cc class. He is one of few riders to score Grand Prix points in the 50cc, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc classes.

Blanca Taveri, Luigi’s daughter: “It’s a really big honour for us that Luigi is together with all those famous riders, and I know he would be very, very proud. He would search for words to say how honoured he would be.”

“I think it’s like Mr Ezpeleta says; Luigi was a pioneer for motor racing in Switzerland, and for us, he’s always been a hero. For me, my dad was always the best racer and it’s difficult to explain because there are so many things I could tell about my dad; what he meant for us. He was a man who never lost touch with the ground, he was very reliable, and he was just special. I think he was special for motorsport in Switzerland as well, and he opened the door for those riders who are coming now, and I hope there will be some Swiss riders coming up, because I think it’s important for Switzerland to have riders in MotoGP.”

Carmelo Ezpeleta, CEO of Dorna Sports: “I had the possibility to see Luigi in Barcelona during his career; I was 18 years old when he became World Champion for the second time. For me, it’s a fitting name; he’s the first Swiss rider to be World Champion, and I remember very well his helmet and everything. The time was different, but we could be where we are right now thanks to people like Luigi, who started this Championship and made this incredible sport in front of everybody. It’s a big pleasure for all the MotoGP family to welcome the name of Luigi Taveri; he was a real Legend and we are extremely happy to induct him into the Hall of Fame.”

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Now the paddock heads to the Red Bull Ring and serious winning turf for Ducati, it could be another pivotal chance for Bagnaia to continue cutting that gap – especially as it’s often been tougher Sunday turf for Yamaha.

There is a new chicane to contend with, however, and that leaves lap records behind and adds an extra challenge to the weekend ahead. Still, the venue has seen many a Ducati win and for a handful of different riders, so the factory remains the favourite. With Bagnaia on form, teammate Jack Miller fresh from the podium, Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) already a winner at the track and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) back up into the battle at Silverstone, there is a long list of hopefuls and it doesn’t even stop there, with the likes of Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) and Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) likewise quick and eager to make their mark.

Another factory eager to keep the pressure on Quartararo is Aprilia. Aleix Espargaro didn’t manage to capitalise on the number 20’s P8 at Silverstone as he took ninth, but after a huge highside on Saturday left him racing with a broken heel, that became a job well done in difficult circumstances as he only lost one point to the Frenchman. And there was still an Aprilia on the podium…

After speed before bad luck in Germany and then third at Assen, which marked his first rostrum finish with Aprilia Racing, second at Silverstone and only four tenths off Bagnaia was quite a statement from Maverick Viñales. The trend says the next step should be the top one, but it’s far from a simple task in MotoGP. Can Top Gun do it, in his 200th Grand Prix and at a poetic place to get back on top? The Aprilia remains as serious a threat as ever, and at the very least it may be a good weekend to chip away more points from Yamaha for both Noale machines.

Meanwhile, KTM are racing at home and will have big aims for the weekend. The tougher season continues but there have been solid moves forward, and both Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and teammate Miguel Oliveira have won at the venue, in two very different styles. With the grandstands full of orange and a new chicane for everyone, will the hills be alive with a podium challenge from the Mattighofen factory? They’ll certainly be pushing to the limit to try and get in that battle for the first time since the first couple of races of the season.

Suzuki will also want more from the Red Bull Ring. The Hamamatsu factory have form there and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) even more so, with the circuit having been the scene of his first win in the World Championship and the number 36 seeming to have figured out a few secrets to being fast in Styria. For teammate Alex Rins the same could be said of Silverstone and the number 42 spent much of the race at the front, but after fading in the latter stages he’ll be looking to bounce back. Qualifying remains a challenge for both Suzuki and KTM, with the riders often charging forward on Sunday, so that will likely be a focus too as the new chicane creates a new lap record.

For Honda there is some big news: Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda) will be back in the paddock. The number 93 isn’t riding or racing again just yet, but he’ll be on hand as the Japanese factory continue to focus on developing the new RC213V. Already in contact from home, now the eight-time World Champion will be on site as Stefan Bradl and Pol Espargaro aim to take the Repsol Honda further into the points, as do Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) and Alex Marquez (LCR Honda Castrol).

Is the Red Bull Ring still Borgo Panigale turf? Can Maverick Viñales put in a poetic weekend? Are KTM up to push forward on home turf? What will the standings look like as we head for San Marino? We’ll find out this weekend, with MotoGP going racing at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday for the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich.

MotoGP Championship Top 5 Before Austria (Full Standings Here)

1 Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) – Yamaha – 180
2 Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) – Aprilia – 158
3 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 131
4 Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP) – Ducati – 118
5 Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – 114

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