# Carlos Lavado

Carlos Alberto Lavado Jones (born May 25, 1956) is a Venezuelan former professional Grand Prix motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM motorcycle Grand Prix world championships from 1978 to 1992. Lavado is notable for winning two 250cc road racing world championships in 1983 and 1986. He joins Johnny Cecotto as the only two Venezuelans to win Grand Prix World Championships.

## Motorcycle racing career

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Lavado made his international racing debut in the 1978 Venezuelan Grand Prix, finishing second in the 250cc class. The following season, he won the 350cc class at the 1979 Venezuelan Grand Prix.
In 1980, he began competing full-time on the Grand Prix circuit. He went on to win the 250cc World Championship in 1983 and repeated the feat in 1986, both times on a Yamaha TZ 250. At the 1983 Dutch TT, Lavado and Iván Palazzese finished in first and second place marking the first time that Venezuelan riders had claimed the top two places in a world championship Grand Prix race.
In fifteen seasons of Grand Prix competition (1978–1992), he participated in 137 races, 125 of them in the 250cc division. He had 36 podium finishes and 17 victories in the 250cc class and 6 podium finishes with 2 victories in the 350cc division. After he retired from competition, he continued his involvement in Grand Prix racing serving as advisor to Venezuelan motorcycle racers Robertino Pietri and Gabriel Ramos.

## Motorcycle Grand Prix Results

Points system from 1969 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 |
| 1978 | 250cc | Yamaha | VEN 2 | ESP - | FRA - | NAT - | NED - | BEL - | SWE - | FIN - | GBR - | GER - | CZE - | YUG - | | | | 12 | 17th | 0 |
| 1979 | 350cc | Yamaha | VEN 1 | AUT - | GER - | NAT - | ESP - | YUG - | NED - | FIN - | GBR - | CZE - | FRA - | | | | | 15 | 14th | 1 |
| 1980 | 250cc | Yamaha | NAT - | ESP 9 | FRA 7 | YUG 4 | NED 1 | BEL - | FIN - | GBR - | CZE - | GER - | | | | | | 29 | 6th | 1 |
| 1980 | 350cc | Yamaha | NAT - | | FRA - | | NED 5 | | | GBR - | CZE 9 | GER - | | | | | | 8 | 13th | 0 |
| 1981 | 250cc | Yamaha | ARG - | | GER 2 | NAT - | FRA 3 | ESP 3 | | NED 2 | BEL 2 | RSM - | GBR - | FIN - | SWE - | CZE - | | 56 | 4th | 0 |
| 1981 | 350cc | Yamaha | ARG 3 | AUT 5 | GER - | NAT 8 | | | YUG 3 | NED 2 | | | GBR - | | | CZE - | | 41 | 5th | 0 |
| 1982 | 250cc | Yamaha | | | FRA - | ESP 1 | NAT - | NED - | BEL - | YUG - | GBR 8 | SWE - | FIN 5 | CZE 1 | RSM - | GER - | | 39 | 5th | 2 |
| 1982 | 350cc | Yamaha | ARG 1 | AUT - | FRA - | | NAT 2 | NED - | | | GBR 4 | | FIN - | CZE 10 | | GER - | | 36 | 5th | 1 |
| 1983 | 250cc | Yamaha | RSA 7 | FRA Ret | NAT 1 | GER 1 | ESP 7 | AUT 7 | YUG 1 | NED 1 | BEL 3 | GBR 4 | SWE 3 | | | | | 100 | 1st | 4 |
| 1984 | 250cc | Yamaha | RSA 9 | NAT 15 | ESP 3 | AUT 5 | GER 5 | FRA 2 | YUG Ret | NED 1 | BEL Ret | GBR 3 | SWE 7 | RSM 2 | | | | 77 | 3rd | 1 |
| 1985 | 250cc | Yamaha | RSA 4 | ESP 1 | GER Ret | NAT 2 | AUT 9 | YUG 2 | NED Ret | BEL 2 | FRA 5 | GBR Ret | SWE 2 | RSM 1 | | | | 94 | 3rd | 2 |
| 1986 | 250cc | Yamaha | ESP 1 | NAT 2 | GER 1 | AUT 1 | YUG Ret | NED 1 | BEL Ret | FRA 1 | GBR 2 | SWE 1 | RSM Ret | | | | | 114 | 1st | 6 |
| 1987 | 250cc | Yamaha | JPN - | ESP 10 | GER 6 | NAT 6 | AUT 8 | YUG 1 | NED 10 | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | SWE 4 | CZE - | RSM - | POR Ret | BRA 5 | ARG 9 | 46 | 10th | 1 |
| 1988 | 250cc | Yamaha | JPN 13 | USA Ret | ESP Ret | EXP Ret | NAT 7 | GER Ret | AUT Ret | NED Ret | BEL 5 | YUG - | FRA - | GBR 8 | SWE Ret | CZE 9 | BRA 2 | 55 | 11th | 0 |
| 1989 | 250cc | Aprilia | JPN - | AUS - | USA - | ESP - | NAT - | GER - | AUT - | YUG - | NED 10 | BEL 15 | FRA 18 | GBR 8 | SWE Ret | CZE 9 | BRA 7 | 31 | 17th | 0 |
| 1990 | 250cc | Aprilia | JPN Ret | USA 15 | ESP Ret | NAT 11 | GER 12 | AUT Ret | YUG 9 | NED 9 | BEL 4 | FRA Ret | GBR - | SWE - | CZE - | HUN - | AUS - | 37 | 15th | 0 |
| 1991 | 250cc | Yamaha | JPN 25 | AUS 10 | USA 12 | ESP 11 | ITA 14 | GER 15 | AUT DNS | EUR | NED 9 | FRA 16 | GBR 17 | RSM 7 | CZE DNQ | VDM | MAL | 34 | 14th | 0 |
| 1992 | 250cc | Gilera | JPN Ret | AUS 14 | MAL Ret | ESP Ret | ITA 12 | EUR Ret | GER 13 | NED 9 | HUN 9 | FRA 20 | GBR 13 | BRA 14 | RSA 15 | | | 29 | 19th | 0 |