Tributes have been paid following the death of British sporting legend Phil Read. The 83-year-old died peacefully in his sleep according to his family.
The news was announced in a statement from the Read family. They said: "It is with incredible sadness that the Read family reports the passing of Phil Read MBE while peacefully asleep on the morning of October 6th, 2022, at his home in Caterbury, England.
"Phil is best known for winning Yamaha’s first world championship title in 1964 with four more Yamaha-mounted titles including one fought as a privateer, plus two premier class 500cc world championships in 1973 and 1974 for the Italian MV Agusta marque. Often a controversial and outspoken figure, his prolific racing career included 52 FIM Grand Prix wins and eight wins at the iconic Isle of Man TT Races. In 2002 he was granted the status of 'MotoGP Legend' by Dorna.
