Read and Bill Ivy in wheelies, at Monza for the GP of Nations with the incredible and hissing Yamaha 250 four V-cylinder: this '67 is the first personal memory of the Englishman that Nico Cereghini recounts here. Eight years later Nico was on track with Phil in the 500 class in the French GP and they ended up together on a postcard. 

Read was a rider with extraordinary class, a Briton who had made a name for himself by winning at the TT with the Norton Manx; he also rode the four-cylinder Gilera 500s of the Duke team, the Yamaha 125s and 250s, and the MV 500s, winning the last four-stroke world title in the history of the half-litre. 

Read was also the first rider to win world titles in the three longest-running classes: 125, 250 and 500. As well as a title with the 750. He had the reputation of a tough guy, he was sometimes downright unfair, Yamaha banned him after he betrayed Bill Ivy and teamwork, even Agostini had harsh conflicts with him. Intelligent, ironic, Phil seemed to enjoy playing the role of the unpleasant one.