Mike Wilson passed away overnight on January 5th. With him goes another vital piece of karting history, boasting six world titles won through his crystalline talent.
Published: 05 January 2026
Columns: Close Up
The news hits hard, like all bad news does, striking when least expected—on a quiet day when everyone is home resting. Mike Wilson has left us, and we lose not just a good, friendly person, but a pillar of karting history. His already strained heart couldn't hold on this time. English by birth but Italian by adoption, having lived in Bergamo since 1977, he was 66 years old.
The first time I saw him was in Parma: I was a kid just starting out, and he was already a legend. It was my first time at the "karting temple," and as I was getting ready, my father said, "Stop, don't put on the suit. Today Wilson is driving—let's go to the side of the track and watch how he drives." I spent the whole morning without driving, next to my father who commented sparingly, highlighting the key aspects of his driving lines. Over 42 years have passed since that day, but I don't recall any driver who could maintain, at the limit, that consistency in lap times and trajectories. His driving conveyed his inner calm. Years later, I was told that during practice breaks, he would sit on the kart with a stopwatch around his neck, eyes closed, mentally rehearsing the lap and timing it. Then, as if by magic, he would stop the clock and be within a few tenths of his best time of the day.
He won six World Titles battling the best in an era where either you knew how to drive, or no kart could compensate for a driver's technical shortcuts. When Senna was asked who was the driver most deserving of Formula 1, the Brazilian named him without hesitation (though on another occasion he called Terry Fullerton his toughest rival, leaving the interviewing journalist speechless as he expected Alain Prost's name). Despite their famous 1981 clash at Jesolo, Senna had immense respect for Mike, and when the English ace won his sixth world title, he personally called the Gazzetta dello Sport newsroom to push for more coverage of his rival's feat, congratulating him in person at the Autosprint Golden Helmets awards.
Our condolences to his wife Nicoletta from the Vroom editorial team for the loss of a friend we will never forget.
Giancarlo Tinini: "The news of Mike's death, which I received last night, hit me like a devastating blow. Motorsport has lost a great champion, but we have all lost above all a great friend, a special person, a positive man always with a smile on his face. It was always a pleasure for me to meet him and exchange a few words. We'll miss him."
Achille Parrilla: "I am stunned by the loss of Mike Wilson, whom I want to bid farewell by remembering a kid who showed up one day in May 1977 at the Pista Azzurra in Jesolo like a lamb to the slaughter in the presence of the blazened and invincible phenomena of the moment, and who emerged miraculously unscathed and hailed as the phenomenon of phenomena—a heavy burden that accompanied him throughout his life. Our paths separated too soon, but I have always mentioned him with great affection for the boundless emotions he gave me. Goodbye Mike, may the souls of those who loved you be by your side on your most important journey."
Simone Angelini: "I was just a kid when I arrived at IAME to work as a mechanic. Having Mike Wilson as my boss might have seemed like too heavy a burden for a young enthusiast like me, but I quickly discovered he was a special person. He always gave you the chance to try, to put one of your ideas on the track. 'If you're sure it can work, give it a go!' he'd always tell me. Then, when things didn't go well, he always managed to find the positive side. And that was his greatest gift: transmitting calm and tranquility to everyone. Only with an environment like that can you win big. His most beautiful memory, the one that best portrayed him as a man, was that he always carried a pack of cigarettes in his suit—'If I stop, at least I can have a smoke while I finish watching the others' race…'"
The first time I saw him was in Parma: I was a kid just starting out, and he was already a legend. It was my first time at the "karting temple," and as I was getting ready, my father said, "Stop, don't put on the suit. Today Wilson is driving—let's go to the side of the track and watch how he drives." I spent the whole morning without driving, next to my father who commented sparingly, highlighting the key aspects of his driving lines. Over 42 years have passed since that day, but I don't recall any driver who could maintain, at the limit, that consistency in lap times and trajectories. His driving conveyed his inner calm. Years later, I was told that during practice breaks, he would sit on the kart with a stopwatch around his neck, eyes closed, mentally rehearsing the lap and timing it. Then, as if by magic, he would stop the clock and be within a few tenths of his best time of the day.
He won six World Titles battling the best in an era where either you knew how to drive, or no kart could compensate for a driver's technical shortcuts. When Senna was asked who was the driver most deserving of Formula 1, the Brazilian named him without hesitation (though on another occasion he called Terry Fullerton his toughest rival, leaving the interviewing journalist speechless as he expected Alain Prost's name). Despite their famous 1981 clash at Jesolo, Senna had immense respect for Mike, and when the English ace won his sixth world title, he personally called the Gazzetta dello Sport newsroom to push for more coverage of his rival's feat, congratulating him in person at the Autosprint Golden Helmets awards.
Our condolences to his wife Nicoletta from the Vroom editorial team for the loss of a friend we will never forget.
Giancarlo Tinini: "The news of Mike's death, which I received last night, hit me like a devastating blow. Motorsport has lost a great champion, but we have all lost above all a great friend, a special person, a positive man always with a smile on his face. It was always a pleasure for me to meet him and exchange a few words. We'll miss him."
Achille Parrilla: "I am stunned by the loss of Mike Wilson, whom I want to bid farewell by remembering a kid who showed up one day in May 1977 at the Pista Azzurra in Jesolo like a lamb to the slaughter in the presence of the blazened and invincible phenomena of the moment, and who emerged miraculously unscathed and hailed as the phenomenon of phenomena—a heavy burden that accompanied him throughout his life. Our paths separated too soon, but I have always mentioned him with great affection for the boundless emotions he gave me. Goodbye Mike, may the souls of those who loved you be by your side on your most important journey."
Simone Angelini: "I was just a kid when I arrived at IAME to work as a mechanic. Having Mike Wilson as my boss might have seemed like too heavy a burden for a young enthusiast like me, but I quickly discovered he was a special person. He always gave you the chance to try, to put one of your ideas on the track. 'If you're sure it can work, give it a go!' he'd always tell me. Then, when things didn't go well, he always managed to find the positive side. And that was his greatest gift: transmitting calm and tranquility to everyone. Only with an environment like that can you win big. His most beautiful memory, the one that best portrayed him as a man, was that he always carried a pack of cigarettes in his suit—'If I stop, at least I can have a smoke while I finish watching the others' race…'"
That was Mike.
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