The 1968 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 20th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of ten Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 21 April, with German Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 15 September. As the sidecar race was cancelled at the Nations Grand Prix, it was announced that a replacement race would be held at Hockenheimring in October alongside the German national championship. [1]
With the departure of Honda from the Grand Prix scene, MV Agusta proceeded to dominate the larger classes with Giacomo Agostini winning every race in the 500 and 350 classes. [2] The 250 crown went to Phil Read amidst a controversy between Yamaha teammates. Read was supposed to take the 125 title while leaving the 250 crown for Bill Ivy. After Read captured the 125 title, he ignored team orders and went after the 250 title as well. [2] Ivy and Read finished the championship tying on points and race results, and in this unlikely scenario, the FIM decided to give Read the title based on aggregate race times. [3] As a result, Yamaha would discharge Read and he would never regain a place on the factory team. [2] Hans-Georg Anscheidt would capture his third consecutive 50cc championship for Suzuki.
Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the best of three were counted on 50cc championships, best of five in 125cc championships, best of six in 250cc and 500cc championships, while in the Sidecars and 350cc, the best of four races were counted.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Italy | MV Agusta | 32 | 7 | |
2 | ![]() | Italy | Benelli | 18 | 0 | |
3 | ![]() | Australia | Aermacchi | 17 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 12 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | New Zealand | Bultaco | 12 | 0 | |
6 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Aermacchi | 9 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() | Czechoslovakia | Jawa | 8 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | Czechoslovakia | ČZ | 7 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 4 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Italy | Aermacchi | 4 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Aermacchi | 4 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Italy | Benelli | 4 | 0 | |
13 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Norton | 3 | 0 | |
14 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Norton | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Seeley | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | West Germany | Aermacchi | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Italy | Ducati | 2 | 0 | |
18 | ![]() | Australia | Aermacchi | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Kawasaki | 1 | 0 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 46 | 5 | |
2 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 46 | 5 | |
3 | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 32 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 21 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() | New Zealand | Bultaco | 19 | 0 | |
6 | ![]() | Italy | Benelli | 10 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() | Spain | Ossa | 8 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | Sweden | Yamaha | 6 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Suzuki | 5 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Hungary | MZ | 5 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Australia | Bultaco | 5 | 0 | |
12 | ![]() | Spain | Ossa | 3 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Rhodesia | Yamaha | 3 | 0 | |
14 | ![]() | Spain | Bultaco | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Italy | Aermacchi | 2 | 0 | |
16 | ![]() | West Germany | Aermacchi | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Switzerland | Bultaco | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Suzuki | 1 | 0 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 40 | 6 | |
2 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 34 | 2 | |
3 | ![]() | New Zealand | Bultaco | 15 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 12 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() | Spain | Bultaco | 11 | 1 | |
6 | ![]() | Hungary | MZ | 11 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | West Germany | MZ-Neckermann | 11 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | West Germany | Suzuki | 10 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 8 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() | Australia | Honda | 6 | 0 | |
11 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Bultaco | 5 | 0 | |
12 | ![]() | West Germany | MZ-Neckermann | 4 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Netherlands | MZ | 4 | 0 | |
14 | ![]() | West Germany | Honda | 3 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 3 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Kawasaki | 3 | 0 | |
17 | ![]() | Sweden | MZ | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Rhodesia | Montesa | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | West Germany | MZ | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | East Germany | MZ | 2 | 0 | |
23 | ![]() | Spain | Bultaco | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Italy | Montesa | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Hungary | MZ | 1 | 0 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | West Germany | Suzuki | 30 | 3 | |
2 | ![]() | Netherlands | Jamathi | 17 | 1 | |
3 | ![]() | Australia | Derbi | 15 | 1 | |
4 | ![]() | Spain | Derbi | 10 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() | West Germany | Kreidler | 6 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 6 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | West Germany | Kreidler | 6 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 4 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Netherlands | Kreidler | 4 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() | West Germany | Kreidler | 3 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 3 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Netherlands | Kreidler | 3 | 0 | |
13 | ![]() | Netherlands | Kreidler | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Spain | Derbi | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Netherlands | Kreidler | 2 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Netherlands | Jamathi | 2 | 0 | |
18 | ![]() | Yugoslavia | Tomos | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | Spain | Derbi | 1 | 0 | |
= | ![]() | United Kingdom | Honda | 1 | 0 |
Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen was a Finnish professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In the early 1970s, he was considered one of the most promising and talented motorcycle racers of his era until he was killed during the 1973 Nations Grand Prix in Italy. Saarinen's death led to increased demands for better safety conditions for motorcycle racers competing in the world championships. He remains the only Finn to have won a motorcycle road racing world championship. Saarinen was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2009.
The 1967 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 19th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of thirteen Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 April, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Japanese Grand Prix on 15 October.
The 1975 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 27th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the sixth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 May, with French Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 3 October.
The 1962 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 14th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eleven Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 6 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Argentine Grand Prix on 14 October. Defending 350cc and 500cc world champion Gary Hocking was deeply affected by the death of his friend, Tom Phillis at the 1962 Isle of Man TT and, announced his retirement from motorcycle racing after winning the 1962 Senior TT. Hocking's MV Agusta teammate, Mike Hailwood went on to win his first 500cc world championship.
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The 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 32nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
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