Happy birthday to Johnny 'two or four wheels'!

We wish a happy one to Johnny Cecotto who turns 69 today.

The Venezuelan is the last of a very select group of racers who competed at the highest level of motorsport on two and four wheels.

Cecotto rose to prominence as a teenage prodigy in 1975 when he became at 19 the youngest ever rider to win a world championship, the young talent defeating that year motorcycle legend Giacomo Agostini in the 350cc category.

In 1980, he made his four-wheel debut with Minardi in the European F2 Championship, graduating to Formula 1 in 1983 with Theodore Racing before moving on to Toleman a year later where he raced alongside rookie Ayrton Senna.

During his 24-month spell at the pinnacle of motorsport, he scored points just once, in his second race, the US Grand Prix West at Long Beach where he finished sixth, a performance that stood as the best result of a Venezuelan driver in F1 until Pastor Maldonado's triumph with Williams 29 years later in the Spanish Grand Prix.

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