Mike Hailwood won the 1978 comeback race in the Formula One TT class.
Hailwood returned to the Isle of Man after an 11-year absence from mainstream motorcycle racing. At 38, he rode a Ducati 900SS-based machine in the Formula One TT, a category for large-capacity road-based motorcycles that had been introduced shortly before his return.
The victory was remarkable because Hailwood had not raced at the TT since 1967. He faced younger competitors and machinery with greater outright power, yet his experience on the Mountain Course allowed him to win the opening race of the 1978 meeting. The result became one of the most celebrated comebacks in motorcycle racing.
The class name can cause confusion because Hailwood had previously won many traditional TT categories, including the Senior TT. His 1978 victory was specifically in Formula One, not the Senior, Junior or Production TT. He later won the Senior TT at the same meeting, giving his comeback an even more memorable finish.