{{Short description|German motorcycle racer (1966–2018)}} {{sources needed|date=October 2025}} {{Infobox motorcycle rider |image= Ralf Waldmann 1992 Japanese GP.jpg |caption = |name = Ralf Waldmann |nationality = German | birth_date = {{birth date|1966|7|14|df=y}} | birth_place = Hagen, West Germany | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|3|10|1966|7|14|df=y}} | death_place = Ennepetal, Germany |GP Active years = 1986 - 2000, 2002, 2009 |GP Teams = Honda, Modenas, Aprilia |GP Race Starts = 169 |GP Championships = |GP Race Wins = 20 |GP Podiums = 50 |GP Total Points = 1668 |GP Poles = 10 |GP Fastest laps = 16 |GP First race = 1986 80cc Baden-Württemberg Grand Prix |GP First win = 1991 125cc West German Grand Prix |GP Last win = 2000 250cc British Grand Prix |GP Last race = 2009 250cc British Grand Prix }}
'''Ralf Waldmann''' (14 July 1966 – 10 March 2018) was a German Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. __TOC__
==Motorcycle racing career== In 1996, Waldmann finished second to Max Biaggi in the 250cc world championship.<ref name="Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com">{{Cite web |url=http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Ralf+Waldmann |title=Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com |access-date=2009-05-16 |archive-date=2020-04-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200417214401/http://www.motogp.com/en/riders/profiles/Ralf+Waldmann |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Ralf Waldmann profile at crash.net">[http://www.crash.net/MotoGP/racer_bio/138/ralf_waldmann.html Ralf Waldmann profile at crash.net] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090821010731/http://www.crash.net/motogp/racer_bio/138/ralf_waldmann.html |date=2009-08-21 }}</ref> In the 1997 season, he gave Biaggi a strong challenge, winning four races and finishing only two points behind the Italian.<ref name="Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com"/><ref name="Ralf Waldmann profile at crash.net"/> Kenny Roberts offered him a job for the 1998 season on a 500cc Modenas but the competition was too strong and he finished in 14th place.<ref name="Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com"/><ref name="Ralf Waldmann profile at crash.net"/> He returned to the 250 class the following year riding for the Aprilia team and retired from motorcycle competition after the 2002 season. Waldmann came out of semi-retirement in 2003 and signed with the new Harris WCM MotoGP team, but quit before the year began after failing to adapt to the new four-stroke Grand Prix bikes.<ref name="Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com"/><ref name="Ralf Waldmann profile at crash.net"/>
Waldmann's final win at the British Grand Prix in 2000 is of particular note. Running on wet tyres on a drying track he trailed the leaders by over a minute and half with ten laps remaining. But as rain started to fall again, he came back from almost a lap down to win the race at the final corner, just 0.3 seconds from Frenchman Olivier Jacque.<ref>[http://www.speedweek.com/sbk/news/38527/Donington-Kommentator-bekam-Herzinfarkt.html Ralf Waldmann on speedweek.com]</ref>
In 2009, Waldmann joined Martin Wimmer in buying out the motorbike manufacturing company MZ, from the Hong Leong Group.<ref>[http://www.visordown.com/motorcyclenews/view/waldmann_mz_buyout_confirmed/6607.html Visordown.com news]</ref> He also had a brief return to Grand Prix motorcycle racing, substituting for the injured rider Vladimir Leonov at the British Grand Prix.
==Death== Waldmann died on 10 March 2018 in Ennepetal, Germany of a suspected heart attack at the age of 51.<ref>[https://www.motorcyclesports.net/ralf-waldmann-died-at-age-51/ Ralf Waldmann died at age 51] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180312083257/https://www.motorcyclesports.net/ralf-waldmann-died-at-age-51/ |date=2018-03-12 }}</ref>
==Career statistics==
===Grand Prix motorcycle racing===
====By class==== {|class="wikitable" !Class !Season !1st GP !1st Pod !1st Win !Race !Win !Podiums !Pole !FLap !Pts !WChmp |- align="right" ! 80cc | 1986–1989 | align="left" | 1986 Baden-Württemberg | align="left" | | align="left" | | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |- align="right" ! 125cc | 1988–1993 | align="left" | 1989 Great Britain | align="left" | 1991 Germany | align="left" | 1991 Germany | 55 | 6 | 15 | 2 | 6 | 432 | 0 |- align="right" ! 250cc | 1994–1997, 1999–2000, 2002, 2009 | align="left" | 1994 Australia | align="left" | 1994 Italy | align="left" | 1994 Italy | 90 | 14 | 35 | 8 | 10 | 1166 | 0 |- align="right" ! 500cc | 1998 | align="left" | 1998 Japan | align="left" | | align="left" | | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 0 |- align="right" ! Total ! 1986–2000, 2002, 2009 | | | | '''169''' | '''20''' | '''50''' | '''10''' | '''16''' | '''1668''' | '''0''' |}
====Races by year==== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" ! Year ! Class ! Bike ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! 13 ! 14 ! 15 ! 16 ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} ! Pts |- ! 1986 ! 80cc ! Krauser | SPA | NAT | GER | AUT | YUG | NED | GBR | RSM |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BWU<br/>{{small|19}} | | | | | | | ! NC ! 0 |- ! 1987 ! 80cc ! ERK | SPA |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|10}} | NAT |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| AUT<br/>{{small|12}} | YUG |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NED<br/>{{small|19}} | GBR |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|Ret}} | RSM | POR | | | | | | ! 25th ! 1 |- !rowspan=2| 1988 ! 80cc ! Seel | SPA | EXP | NAT |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GER<br/>{{small|17}} | NED | YUG | CZE | | | | | | | | | ! NC ! 0 |- ! 125cc ! Rotax | SPA | NAT |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| GER<br/>{{small|DNQ}} | AUT | NED | BEL | YUG | FRA | GBR | SWE | CZE | | | | | ! NC ! 0 |- !rowspan=2| 1989 ! 80cc ! Seel |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NAT<br/>{{small|14}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| YUG<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|12}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|19}} | | | | | | | | | | ! 14th ! 23 |- ! 125cc ! Seel | JPN | AUS |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|DNQ}} | NAT |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| GER<br/>{{small|DNQ}} | AUT | NED |style="background:#FFCFCF;"| BEL<br/>{{small|DNQ}} | FRA |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SWE<br/>{{small|19}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|Ret}} | | | | ! NC ! 0 |- ! 1990 ! 125cc ! JJ Cobas | JPN |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NAT<br/>{{small|25}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|11}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| AUT<br/>{{small|16}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| YUG<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NED<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BEL<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|15}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SWE<br/>{{small|23}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| HUN<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|Ret}} | | ! 23rd ! 19 |- ! 1991 ! 125cc ! Honda |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|9}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GER<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''AUT'''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| EUR<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''NED''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ''FRA''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RSM<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|8}} | MAL | | | !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 141 |- ! 1992 ! 125cc ! Honda |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''JPN''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| ''MAL''<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| EUR<br/>{{small|12}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| '''GER'''<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|9}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| HUN<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|10}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|15}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RSA<br/>{{small|6}} | | | !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 112 |- ! 1993 ! 125cc ! Aprilia |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ''SPA''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUT<br/>{{small|9}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| NED<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ''EUR''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RSM<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GBR<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| USA<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FIM<br/>{{small|1}} | | ! 4th ! 160 |- ! 1994 ! 250cc ! Honda |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUT<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| USA<br/>{{small|10}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| EUR<br/>{{small|7}} | | ! 5th ! 156 |- ! 1995 ! 250cc ! Honda |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GER<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''FRA''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GBR<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CZE<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| EUR<br/>{{small|3}} | | | !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd !style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 203 |- ! 1996 ! 250cc ! Honda |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|DNS}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| INA<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| SPA<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| ITA<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| NED<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''GER'''''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''AUT''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CZE<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''IMO''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| CAT<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|2}} | !style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd !style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 268 |- ! 1997 ! 250cc ! Honda |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''SPA'''''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ''ITA''<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''AUT'''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| FRA<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| IMO<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GER<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|12}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| '''''CZE'''''<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''CAT'''''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| INA<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ''AUS''<br/>{{small|1}} | !style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd !style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 248 |- ! 1998 ! 500cc ! Modenas |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|9}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|10}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|11}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|12}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAD<br/>{{small|10}} |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| NED<br/>{{small|DNS}} | GBR |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|13}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| IMO<br/>{{small|15}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAT<br/>{{small|12}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG<br/>{{small|15}} | | ! 14th ! 46 |- ! 1999 ! 250cc ! Aprilia |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|DNS}} | JPN |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SPA<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| CAT<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| GER<br/>{{small|3}} |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| '''CZE'''<br/>{{small|2}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| IMO<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| VAL<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RSA<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ARG<br/>{{small|11}} ! 6th ! 131 |- ! 2000 ! 250cc ! Aprilia |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| RSA<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAL<br/>{{small|4}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JPN<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| '''''SPA'''''<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| FRA<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CAT<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| '''NED'''<br/>{{small|24}} |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|1}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|8}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|5}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| POR<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| VAL<br/>{{small|13}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BRA<br/>{{small|6}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| PAC<br/>{{small|7}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| AUS<br/>{{small|4}} ! 7th ! 143 |- ! 2002 ! 250cc ! Aprilia | JPN | RSA | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br/>{{small|11}} | GBR |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| GER<br/>{{small|9}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CZE<br/>{{small|11}} | POR | BRA | PAC | MAL | AUS | VAL ! 19th ! 17 |- ! 2009 ! 250cc ! Aprilia | QAT | JPN | SPA | FRA | ITA | CAT | NED | GER |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR<br/>{{small|Ret}} | CZE | INP | SMR | POR | AUS | MAL | VAL ! NC ! 0 |- !colspan="21"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref name="Ralf Waldmann career statistics at MotoGP.com"/>}}}} |}
===Superbike World Championship===
====Races by year==== (key) (Races in '''bold''' indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- !valign="middle" rowspan=2| Year !valign="middle" rowspan=2| Make !colspan=2| 1 !colspan=2| 2 !colspan=2| 3 !colspan=2| 4 !colspan=2| 5 !colspan=2| 6 !colspan=2| 7 !colspan=2| 8 !colspan=2| 9 !colspan=2| 10 !colspan=2| 11 !colspan=2| 12 !rowspan=2| {{Tooltip|Pos.|Championship position}} !rowspan=2| Pts |- ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 ! R1 ! R2 |- ! 2005 ! Honda | QAT | QAT | AUS | AUS | SPA | SPA | ITA | ITA | EUR | EUR | SMR | SMR | CZE | CZE | GBR | GBR | NED | NED |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GER<br/>{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#FFFFFF;"| GER<br/>{{small|DNS}} | ITA | ITA | FRA | FRA ! NC ! 0 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldmann, Ralf}} Category:1966 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Sportspeople from Hagen Category:German motorcycle racers Category:125cc World Championship riders Category:250cc World Championship riders Category:500cc World Championship riders Category:Superbike World Championship riders Category:80cc World Championship riders