1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Last updated September 21, 2024

The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc. It began on 17 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 4 September.

1949 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 600cc winner	Report
1	17 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain		Manliff Barrington	Freddie Frith	Harold Daniell		Report
2	3 July	Swiss Grand Prix	Bremgarten	Nello Pagani	Bruno Ruffo	Freddie Frith	Leslie Graham	Oliver / Jenkinson	Report
3	9 July	Dutch TT	Assen	Nello Pagani		Freddie Frith	Nello Pagani		Report
4	17 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps			Freddie Frith	Bill Doran	Oliver / Jenkinson	Report
5	20 August	Ulster Grand Prix	Clady		Maurice Cann	Freddie Frith	Leslie Graham		Report
6	4 September	Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Gianni Leoni	Dario Ambrosini		Nello Pagani	Frigerio / Dobelli	Report

Standings

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top five finishers in each race with an extra point for the race finisher with the fastest lap. All rounds counted towards the championship in the 125cc, 250cc and Sidecar categories, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, only the best three results counted.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	Fastest lap
Points	10	8	7	6	5	1

500cc final standings

Pos	Rider	Machine	MAN	SUI	NED	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts
1	Leslie Graham	AJS	10	1	2	Ret	1	Ret	30 (31)
2	Nello Pagani	Gilera		4	1	5	3	1	29 (40)
3	Arciso Artesiani	Gilera		2	3	2	Ret	2	25 (32)
4	Bill Doran	AJS	8		Ret	1	4	3	23
5	Artie Bell	Norton	4	Ret	4	4	2		20 (26)
6	Harold Daniell	Norton	1	3	6	7			17
7	Johnny Lockett	Norton	2	Ret	5	Ret	Ret		13
8	Enrico Lorenzetti	Moto Guzzi			10	3			7
9	Ernie Lyons	Velocette	3						7
10	Gianni Leoni	Moto Guzzi		6	Ret	6		4	6
11	Syd Jensen	Triumph	5		Ret	9			5
12	Freddie Frith	Velocette	Ret	5	Ret	Ret			5
13	Bruno Bertacchini	Moto Guzzi		Ret			Ret	5	5
14	Jock West	AJS					5		5
15	Ken Armstrong	AJS						6	0
=	Cromie McCandless	Norton					6		0
=	Fred Stevens	Triumph	6						0
18	Ken Bills	Velocette		7	Ret	10			0
19	Harry Turner	Norton	18				7		0
20	Umberto Masetti	Gilera			7	Ret			0
21	Reg Armstrong	AJS	7						0
=	Felice Benasedo	Moto Guzzi						7	0
23	Harry Hinton	Norton	9		8	16			0
24	George Morrison	Norton	31		Ret	8	Ret		0
25	Roger Richoz	Norton		8					0
=	Ricardo Sabbadini	Moto Guzzi						8	0
=	James Scott	Triumph					8		0
28	Oscar Clemencich	Gilera			9	Ret		15	0
29	Sante Geminiani	Moto Guzzi						9	0
=	Hans Kaufmann	Gilera		9					0
31	Dante Bianchi	Moto Guzzi						10	0
=	Georges Cordey	Norton		10					0
=	Ernie Callahan	Triumph					10		0
34	Arthur Wheeler	Triumph	Ret		Ret	11			0
35	Phil Heath	Norton	11			Ret			0
36	Adelmo Mandolini	Moto Guzzi						11	0
=	Benoit Musy	Moto Guzzi		11					0
=	Drikus Veer	Triumph			11				0
38	Oliver Scott	Norton	Ret		12	15			0
39	Bill Beevers	Norton	16	12	Ret	Ret	Ret		0
40	Antonio Dalle Fusine	Gilera				12	Ret		0
=	Bill Petch	Triumph	12			Ret			0
42	Lodovico Facchinelli	Gilera						12	0
43	Edward Nicholls	Triumph			13		9		0
44	Guy Newman	Norton	13						0
=	Nandor Puhony	Gilera		13					0
=	Orlando Valdinoci	Gilera						13	0
=	Albert Vertriest	Triumph				13			0
48	Alfeo Maramotti	Moto Guzzi						14	0
=	Eric McPherson	AJS	14						0
=	Jacques Schot	Norton			14				0
=	László Szabó	Gilera		14					0
=	Jules Tacheny	Triumph				14			0
53	Roy Evans	Norton	15						0
=	Gerard Hoek	BMW			15				0
55	Jack Bailey	Triumph	17				Ret		0
56	Johnny Hodgkin	Norton	19						0
57	Dick Addie	Norton	20						0
58	Albert Moule	Triumph	21						0
59	George Paterson	Triumph	22						0
60	Bob Matthews	Norton	23						0
61	George Hayden	Norton	24						0
62	John Purnell	Norton	25						0
63	Lesly Hill	Norton	26						0
64	Arthur Fenn	Norton	27						0
65	Harry Francis	Norton	28						0
66	Eric Hardy	Norton	29						0
67	Jack Brett	Norton	30						0
68	Lennart Fenning	Norton	32						0
69	Rob Weston	Norton	33						0
70	Joe Glazebrook	Triumph	34						0
71	Joe Dent	Norton	35						0
-	Bob Foster	Moto Guzzi	Ret		Ret	Ret	Ret		0
-	Carlo Bandirola	Gilera		Ret			Ret	Ret	0
-	Eric Briggs	Norton	Ret		Ret	Ret			0
-	Les Dear	Norton	Ret		Ret	Ret			0
-	Ted Frend	AJS	Ret	Ret	Ret				0
-	Fergus Anderson	Moto Guzzi		Ret		Ret			0
-	Wilf Billington	Norton	Ret				Ret		0
-	Norman Croft	Triumph	Ret	Ret					0
-	Frank Fry	Norton			Ret	Ret			0
-	Eric Oliver	Norton	Ret					Ret	0
-	Ernie Thomas	Triumph		Ret				Ret	0
-	David Whitworth	Triumph			Ret	Ret			0
-	Dario Ambrosini	Gilera		Ret					0
-	Syl Anderton	Triumph	Ret						0
-	Syd Barnett	Norton	Ret						0
-	Jean Behra	Moto Guzzi		Ret					0
-	Aldo Bernardoni	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Ernie Braine	Norton	Ret						0
-	Charlie Brett	Velocette	Ret						0
-	Aldo Brini	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Gerard Carter	Norton					Ret		0
-	Javier de Ortueta	Norton	Ret						0
-	Roland Dumond	Moto Guzzi					Ret		0
-	Juhan Franta	Moto Guzzi		Ret					0
-	Auguste Goffin	Triumph				Ret			0
-	Arthur Good	Norton	Ret						0
-	Hans Haldemann	Moto Guzzi				Ret			0
-	Piet Knijnenburg	BMW			Ret				0
-	Roger Laurent	Moto Guzzi				Ret			0
-	Sid Lawton	Triumph	Ret						0
-	Reg Lee	Norton	Ret						0
-	Leon Martin	Gilera				Ret			0
-	Reginald MacDonald	Triumph					Ret		0
-	Tommy McEwans	Triumph	Ret						0
-	Armando Miele	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Stan Miller	Norton	Ret						0
-	Bert Myers	Triumph	Ret						0
-	Billy Graham	Norton					Ret		0
-	Ashley Len Parry	Norton					Ret		0
-	Hub Pellikaan	BMW			Ret				0
-	Henry Pinnington	Norton	Ret						0
-	Charlie Salt	Norton	Ret						0
-	Emilio Soprani	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Jan Veer	Triumph			Ret				0
-	Roy Walker	Norton	Ret						0
-	Tom Wycherley	Norton					Ret		0
Pos	Rider	Bike	MAN	SUI	NED	BEL	ULS	NAT	Pts

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	Second place
Bronze	Third place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Constructors' 500cc World Championship

Pos	Constructor							Pts
1	AJS	6	1	2	1	1	3	32 (48)
2	Gilera	–	2	1	2	3	1	31 (46)
3	Norton	1	3	4	4	2	Ret	25 (37)
4	Moto Guzzi	Ret	6	10	3	Ret	4	13
5	Velocette	3	5	Ret	10	–	–	12
6	Triumph	5	Ret	11	9	8	Ret	5
–	BMW	–	–	15	–	–	–	0

350cc final standings

Place	Rider	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Freddie Frith	United Kingdom	Velocette	33	5
2	Reg Armstrong	Ireland	AJS	18	0
3	Bob Foster	United Kingdom	Velocette	16	0
4	Eric McPherson	Australia	AJS	16	0
5	Johnny Lockett	United Kingdom	Norton	14	0
6	David Whitworth	United Kingdom	Velocette	12	0
7	Leslie Graham	United Kingdom	AJS	8	0
8	Ernie Lyons	Ireland	Velocette	8	0
9	Charlie Salt	United Kingdom	Velocette	8	0
10	Bill Doran	United Kingdom	AJS	7	0

250cc final standings

Place	Rider	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Bruno Ruffo	Italy	Moto Guzzi	24	1
2	Dario Ambrosini	Italy	Benelli	19	1
3	Ronald Mead	United Kingdom	Norton	13	0
4	Maurice Cann	United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	11	1
5	Claudio Mastellari	Italy	Moto Guzzi	11	0
6	Manliff Barrington	Ireland	Moto Guzzi	10	1
7	Tommy Wood	United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	9	0
8	Fergus Anderson	United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	8	0
9	Gianni Leoni	Italy	Moto Guzzi	8	0
10	Umberto Masetti	Italy	Benelli	7	0

125cc

Riders' standings

Pos.	Rider	Bike	SUI	NED	NAT	Pts
1	Nello Pagani	Mondial	1^F	1^F	5	27
2	Renato Magi	Morini	2		4	14
3	Umberto Masetti	Morini	5	DSQ	2	13
4	Carlo Ubbiali	MV Agusta	4	3		13
5	Gianni Leoni	Mondial			1^F	11
6	Oscar Clemencich	Mondial		2		8
7	Umberto Braga	Mondial			3	7
7	Celeste Cavaciuti	Mondial	3			7
9	Franco Bertoni	MV Agusta		4		6
10	Giuseppe Matucci	MV Agusta		5		5
Pos.	Rider	Bike	SUI	NED	NAT	Pts

Race key
Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	2nd place
Bronze	3rd place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Excluded (EX)
Annotation	Meaning
P	Pole position
F	Fastest lap
Rider key
Colour	Meaning
Light blue	Rookie rider

Constructors' standings

Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.

Pos.	Constructor	SUI	NED	NAT	Pts
1	Mondial	1^F	1^F	1^F	33
2	Morini	2		2	16
3	MV Agusta	4	3		13
Pos.	Constructor	SUI	NED	NAT	Pts

Sidecar final standings

Place	Rider	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Eric Oliver / Denis Jenkinson	UK	Norton	27	2
2	Ercole Frigerio / Lorenzo Dobelli	Italy	Gilera	18	1
3	Frans Vanderschrick / Martin Whitney	United Kingdom	Norton	16	0
4	Ernesto Merlo / Aldo Veglio	Italy	Gilera	13	0
5	Albino Milani / Ezio Ricotti	Italy	Gilera	12	1
6	Hans Haldemann / Herbert Läderach	Switzerland	Norton	8	0
7	Roland Benz / Max Hirzel	Switzerland	BMW	6	0
8	Jakob Keller / Ernst Brutschi	Switzerland	Gilera	6	0
9	Pip Harris / Neil Smith	United Kingdom	Norton	5	0

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References

Haefliger, Werner. FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). pp. 3–4. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.
Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
"The Official MotoGP website". Archived from the original on 2012-09-18. Retrieved 2010-07-06.

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