1957 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Last updated March 06, 2022

The 1957 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the ninth 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 500cc. It began on 19 May, with German Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on 1 September.

Season summary

1957 marked the end of a Golden Era in Grand Prix motorcycle racing. There had been an impressive variety of machinery competing during the 1950s including, works teams from AJS, Norton, Gilera, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi, and BMW. That's six factories taking part with singles, twins and four-cylinder machines. Include privateer Nortons and Matchless and it made for a colorful competition.^[1]

Then the Italian firms dropped a bombshell by announcing they would pull out of racing at the conclusion of the 1957 season, citing escalating costs and dwindling motorcycle sales.^[1] MV Agusta initially went along with the pull out before reconsidering.^[1] The firm would go on to claim 17 consecutive 500cc crowns.

1957 would also mark a new era in other respects with the banning of the dustbin fairings due to their dangerous instability in crosswinds.^[1] Another harbinger of change was the introduction of two-stroke engines in competition. An East German firm named MZ placed respectably in races at the Nürburgring although few people viewed the two-strokes as a threat to the mighty four-strokes.^[1]

1957 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	19 May	German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring	Carlo Ubbiali	Carlo Ubbiali	Libero Liberati	Libero Liberati	Hillebrand / Grunwald	Report
2	7 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain	Tarquinio Provini	Cecil Sandford	Bob McIntyre	Bob McIntyre	Hillebrand / Grunwald	Report
3	29 June	Dutch TT	TT Circuit Assen	Tarquinio Provini	Tarquinio Provini	Keith Campbell	John Surtees	Hillebrand / Grunwald	Report
4	7 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	Tarquinio Provini	John Hartle	Keith Campbell	Libero Liberati	Schneider / Strauß	Report
5	10 August	Ulster Grand Prix	Dundrod Circuit	Luigi Taveri	Cecil Sandford	Keith Campbell	Libero Liberati		Report
6	1 September	Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Carlo Ubbiali	Tarquinio Provini	Bob McIntyre	Libero Liberati	Milani / Milani	Report

Standings

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the four best races were counted in all five classes: the Sidecars, 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships.

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

500cc final standings

Pos	Rider	Machine	GER	MAN	HOL	BEL	ULS	NAC	Pts
1	Libero Liberati	Gilera	1		2	1	1	1	32 (38)
2	Bob McIntyre	Gilera	2	1	Ret		2		20
3	John Surtees	MV Agusta	Ret	2	1	Ret	Ret	4	17
4	Geoff Duke	Gilera					3	2	10
5	Jack Brett	Norton		Ret	4	2	Ret		9
6	Walter Zeller	BMW	3	Ret	3	Ret			8
7	Keith Bryen	Matchless / Norton / Moto Guzzi		13	6	3	5		7
8	Dickie Dale	Moto Guzzi	4	4					6
9	Alfredo Milani	Gilera				Ret		3	4
10	Bob Brown	Gilera		3					4
11	Terry Shepherd	MV Agusta	5		Ret		6	6	4
12	Derek Minter	Norton		16	9	4			3
13	Geoffrey Tanner	Norton		28			4		3
14	Ernst Hiller	BMW	6		5				3
15	Mike O'Rourke	Norton		29	10	5			2
16	Keith Campbell	Moto Guzzi	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	Ret		2
=	Umberto Masetti	MV Agusta	Ret		Ret			5	2
18	Hans-Günter Jäger	Norton / BMW	13		Ret	6		13	1
19	Alan Trow	Norton		6					1
20	John Hempleman	Norton		Ret	7	Ret	11		0
21	Carlo Bandirola	MV Agusta						7	0
=	Alistair King	Norton		7					0
=	Bob Matthews	Norton					7		0
=	Ernst Riedelbauch	BMW	7						0
25	Jimmy Buchan Jr.	Norton		9			8		0
26	Roger Barker	Norton		10	8				0
27	Gerold Klinger	BMW	Ret		Ret	Ret		8	0
28	Eugen Hagenlocher	BMW	8						0
=	Peter Murphy	Matchless		8					0
30	Alois Huber	BMW	9					11	0
31	John Clark	Moto Guzzi		Ret	Ret	Ret	9		0
=	John Hartle	Norton			Ret	Ret	Ret	9	0
33	Jackie Wood	Norton		Ret			10		0
34	Giuseppe Cantoni	Gilera						10	0
35	Ken Tostevin	Norton	10	18	11				0
36	Bernard Codd	Norton		11					0
=	Jacques Insermini	Norton	11						0
38	Denis Christian	Matchless		Ret			12		0
39	Austin Carson	Norton	12						0
=	Frank Fox	Norton		12					0
=	Francesco Guglieminetti	Norton						12	0
=	Priem Rozenberg	BMW			12				0
43	Fred Wallis	BSA		Ret			13		0
44	Kees Koster	Norton			13				0
=	Nico Tagli	Gilera						13	0
46	Ralph Rensen	Norton		Ret			14		0
47	Peter Davey	Norton		14					0
=	Anton Elbersen	Norton			14				0
49	Derek Powell	Matchless		Ret			15		0
=	George Catlin	Norton		15		Ret			0
51	Vernon Cottle	Norton					16		0
52	Dennis Chapman	Norton		Ret			17		0
53	George Costain	Norton		17					0
54	Dick Thomson	Norton / Matchless	Ret	Ret			18		0
55	John Denton	Norton		19					0
=	Jimmy Jones	Norton					19		0
57	Harry Lowe	BSA		27			20		0
58	John Anderson	Norton		20	Ret	Ret			0
59	Harry Grant	BSA		Ret			21		0
60	Louis Carr	Matchless		21					0
61	Martin Brosnan	Norton					22		0
=	Stan Setaro	Norton		22					0
63	Tommy Holmes	BSA					23		0
=	Arthur Wheeler	Moto Guzzi		23					0
65	Ray Fay	Norton		24					0
=	Jimmy Hayes	AJS					24		0
67	Bob Coulter	BSA					25		0
=	Ken Tully	Norton		25					0
69	M.S. Hall	Norton					26		0
=	Ken Willis	Norton		26					0
71	Bill Roberton	Norton		30					0
72	Roly Capner	Norton		31					0
73	Ernie Barrett	Norton		32					0
74	Robert King	Norton		33					0
75	Arnold Jones	AJS		34					0
76	Basil King	Norton		35					0
77	Llewellyn Ranson	Norton		36					0
78	Bob Rowbottom	Norton		37					0
79	Joe Glazebrook	AJS		38					0
-	Noel McCutcheon	Norton		Ret	Ret	Ret			0
-	Martinus van Son	Matchless	Ret					Ret	0
-	Andy Aharonian	BSA		Ret					0
-	Sven Andersson	Norton						Ret	0
-	Piet Bakker	Norton			Ret				0
-	John Banks	Norton		Ret					0
-	Bill Beevers	Norton		Ret					0
-	Raymond Bogaerdt	Norton				Ret			0
-	Joe Brindley	Norton		Ret					0
-	Stan Cameron	AJS		Ret					0
-	Paolo Campanelli	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Fabio Ceredi	Moto Guzzi						Ret	0
-	Dave Chadwick	Norton		Ret					0
-	Jacques Collot	Norton	Ret					Ret	0
-	Giuseppe Colnago	Moto Guzzi				Ret			0
-	Ronald Cousins	Norton		Ret					0
-	René Deschamps	Norton	Ret						0
-	Bob Ferguson	Matchless		Ret					0
-	Enrico Galante	Norton						Ret	0
-	Ulf Gate	Norton		Ret					0
-	Martino Giani	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Walter Hancock	BSA		Ret					0
-	Eric Hinton	Norton		Ret					0
-	Heinz Kauert	Matchless	Ret						0
-	Rudolf Knees	BMW	Ret						0
-	Guy Ligier	Norton	Ret						0
-	Robert Lilley	Norton		Ret					0
-	Giuseppe Mantelli	Gilera						Ret	0
-	Kurt Maul	Norton	Ret						0
-	Robert McCracken	Norton					Ret		0
-	Bernard Morle	Norton		Ret					0
-	Albert Moule	Norton		Ret					0
-	Andrew Mustard	BSA		Ret					0
-	Pierre Nicholas	Norton				Ret			0
-	Jules Nies	Norton				Ret			0
-	Frank Norris	Norton		Ret					0
-	George Northwood	Norton		Ret					0
-	Grenville Pennington	BSA		Ret					0
-	Harry Plews	Norton		Ret					0
-	Brian Purslow	Norton		Ret					0
-	Charlie Salt	BSA		Ret					0
-	George Salt	Norton		Ret					0
-	Karl-Heinz Scheifel	Matchless	Ret						0
-	Toni Schmitz	Norton	Ret						0
-	Brian Setchell	Norton		Ret					0
-	Casper Swart	Norton			Ret				0
-	Percy Tait	Norton		Ret					0
-	Don Tickle	Norton		Ret					0
-	Hermann Vogt	Matchless	Ret						0
-	Danny Walker	Norton		Ret					0
-	Trevor Williams	Norton		Ret					0
-	Ian Yeates	Norton		Ret					0
-	Gianvittorio Ziglioli	Moto Guzzi						Ret	0
Pos	Rider	Bike	GER	MAN	HOL	BEL	ULS	NAC	Pts

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)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

1957 350cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Keith Campbell		Australia	Moto Guzzi	30	3
2	Bob McIntyre		United Kingdom	Gilera	22	2
3	Libero Liberati	7	Italy	Gilera	22	1
4	Keith Bryen		Australia	Moto Guzzi	12	0
5	John Hartle	8	United Kingdom	Norton	11	0
6	Giuseppe Colnago		Italy	Moto Guzzi	7	0
7	Bob Brown	17	Australia	Gilera	6	0
8	Alano Montanari	3	Italy	Moto Guzzi	5	0
9	Helmut Hallmeier		West Germany	NSU	4	0
10	Jack Brett	12	United Kingdom	Norton	3	0
10	Umberto Masetti	14	Italy	MV Agusta	3	0
10	Alfredo Milani		Italy	Gilera	3	0
10	John Surtees	4	United Kingdom	MV Agusta	3	0

1957 250cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Cecil Sandford	5	United Kingdom	Mondial	26	2
2	Tarquinio Provini		Italy	Mondial	16	2
3	Sammy Miller	7	United Kingdom	Mondial	14	0
4	Roberto Colombo		Italy	MV Agusta	10	0
5	John Hartle	8	United Kingdom	MV Agusta	8	1
5	Carlo Ubbiali	1	Italy	MV Agusta	8	1
7	Luigi Taveri	2	Switzerland	MV Agusta	8	0
8	Dave Chadwick		United Kingdom	MV Agusta	7	0
9	Enrico Lorenzetti		Italy	Moto Guzzi	7	0
10	Remo Venturi	6	Italy	MV Agusta	6	0

1957 125cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Tarquinio Provini	4	Italy	Mondial	30	3
2	Luigi Taveri	3	Switzerland	MV Agusta	22	1
3	Carlo Ubbiali	1	Italy	MV Agusta	22	2
4	Sammy Miller		United Kingdom	Mondial	12	0
5	Roberto Colombo		Italy	MV Agusta	11	0
6	Cecil Sandford		United Kingdom	Mondial	9	0
7	Remo Venturi		Italy	MV Agusta	6	0
8	Fortunato Libanori	5	Italy	MV Agusta	5	0
9	František Bartoš		Czechoslovakia	CZ	3	0
9	Dave Chadwick		United Kingdom	MV Agusta	3	0
9	Horst Fügner		East Germany	MZ	3	0

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References

1 2 3 4 5 Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7

Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
"The Official MotoGP website" . Retrieved 2010-07-06.

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[Motocourse:_50_Years_Of_Moto_Grand_Prix-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7

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