Pierfrancesco Chili


Pierfrancesco 'Frankie' Chili, is a motorcycle racer who has raced in the Superbike World Championship and the 250cc and 500cc classes in Grand Prix. In World Superbike he had a record number of starts, as well as 10 poles and 17 wins. He retired at the end of the season. Chili also won the 125cc European Championship in 1985

500cc

Chili spent several years on a Gallina HB Honda, with some works backing. He won the 1989 Nations motorcycle Grand Prix when most of the top riders didn't race due to the track being too slippery due to rain, but was generally upper-midfield at best. His best championship finish was 6th in 1989.

250cc

He stepped down to 250s, finishing 3rd overall in 1992.

Superbike World Championship

He switched to the Superbike World Championship in on a private Ducati, taking a win at Monza and 3 further podiums, as well as the fastest lap in four races, en route to eighth overall. Curiously, in each of - he won race two at Monza after crashing in race one. In he took two wins as well as his first two poles, coming sixth in the championship. He was seventh-placed in, taking three wins and three poles but only three more podiums.
Results in on a factory Ducati were an improvement - Chili won five races to come fourth place overall, his best ever finish. However, at Assen he battled too hard with Carl Fogarty, falling on the final lap, and was sacked at the end of the year. In he raced for Suzuki, coming sixth with two more wins. His first win came in race two at the A1-Ring, after crashing while leading the first race.
In he repeated the ten podiums and fourth place overall of, although with only a single win as Colin Edwards dominated. Over the next two years he made the podium just three times, coming seventh and eighth in the series. Although he was only seventh again, represented something of a resurgence for a rider nearing forty years of age; with five third places and one win. The year was even better for the PSG-1 Ducati team, fifth overall with another nine podiums. In he moved to the Klaffi Honda team with rookie Max Neukirchner, coming tenth overall. was ruined by a broken pelvis, which caused him to miss several races. Following his retirement he became team manager of the Guandalini Racing team in World Superbikes for the 2009 season

Career statistics

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

YearClassBike123456789101112131415Pts
1984125ccMBANATSPAGERFRANEDGBRSWERSM
Ret
NC0
1985125ccMBASPAGERNATAUTNEDBELFRAGBRSWERSM
Ret
NC0
1986500ccSuzukiSPA
14
NAT
7
GER
16
AUT
9
YUG
Ret
NED
BEL
6
FRA
Ret
GBR
DNS
SWE
RSM
10th11
1987500ccHondaJPN
4
SPA
11
GER
6
NAT
7
AUT
10
YUG
6
NED
9
FRA
2
GBR
12
SWE
Ret
CZE
9
RSM
Ret
POR
7
BRA
9
ARG
9
8th47
1988500ccHondaJPN
14
USA
Ret
SPA
7
EXP
DNS
NAT
6
GER
6
AUT
5
NED
6
BEL
8
YUG
11
FRA
8
GBR
8
SWE
9
CZE
4
BRA
7
9th110
1989500ccHondaJPN
Ret
AUS
Ret
USA
7
SPA
6
NAT
1
GER
4
AUT
6
YUG
9
NED
5
BEL
6
FRA
6
GBR
9
SWE
7
CZE
5
BRA
Ret
6th122
1990500ccHondaJPN
7
USA
3
SPA
5
NAT
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
4
YUG
Ret
NED
8
BEL
DNS
FRA
GBR
SWE
CZE
HUN
AUS
9
11th63
1991250ccApriliaJPN
17
AUS
6
USA
Ret
SPA
5
ITA
3
GER
Ret
AUT
4
EUR
Ret
NED
1
FRA
4
GBR
DNS
RSM
8
CZE
Ret
VDM
7
MAL
8
7th107
1992250ccApriliaJPN
5
AUS
Ret
MAL
3
SPA
6
ITA
Ret
EUR
6
GER
1
NED
1
HUN
Ret
FRA
2
GBR
1
BRA
Ret
RSA
3
3rd119
1993250ccYamahaAUS
10
MAL
9
JPN
7
SPA
12
AUT
8
GER
7
NED
8
EUR
Ret
RSM
8
GBR
4
CZE
8
ITA
8
USA
6
FIM
8
10th106
1995500ccCagivaAUS
MAL
JPN
SPA
GER
ITA
10
NED
FRA
GBR
CZE
BRA
ARG
EUR
27th6

Superbike World Championship

Races by year