The 1970 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 22nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 3 May, with West German Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 27 September.
With no other manufacturers competing in the 500cc class the MV Agusta team continued to dominate as Giacomo Agostini won his fifth consecutive 500cc world championship. [1] Kawasaki began to sell the Kawasaki H1R to privateer racing teams. [2] The H1R was the first multi-cylinder two stroke racing motorcycle to be sold commercially. [2] Ginger Molloy rode one of the Kawasakis to a second place finish behind Agostini in the championship. [1]
Life was a bit tougher for Agostini in the 350 class as Kel Carruthers and Renzo Pasolini on Benellis and Rod Gould on a factory Yamaha gave him a battle on more than one occasion. [1] Gould would take the 250 title for Yamaha, battling Carruthers for the entire season. [1] German Dieter Braun would give Suzuki the 125 crown while Derbi mounted Angel Nieto claimed the 50cc class for the second year in a row.
There were six fatalities among the competitors at the Isle of Man TT races, including world championship contender Santiago Herrero, making 1970 the deadliest year in the history of the event. [3] [4]
Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of six races were counted on 50cc, 125cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, best of seven in 250cc, while in the Sidecars, the best of five races were counted.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Giacomo Agostini | 1 | Italy | MV Agusta | 90 | 9 |
2 | Kel Carruthers | 7 | Australia | Benelli | 58 | 0 |
3 | Renzo Pasolini | Italy | Benelli | 46 | 0 | |
4 | Kent Andersson | Sweden | Yamaha | 44 | 0 | |
5 | Martti Pesonen | Finland | Yamaha | 38 | 0 | |
6 | Rodney Gould | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 28 | 0 | |
7 | Angelo Bergamonti | Italy | MV Agusta | 27 | 1 | |
8 | Günter Bartusch | East Germany | MZ | 20 | 0 | |
9 | Alan Barnett | United Kingdom | Aermacchi | 20 | 0 | |
10 | Tommy Robb | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 18 | 0 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rodney Gould | 6 | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 102 | 6 |
2 | Kel Carruthers | Australia | Yamaha | 84 | 4 | |
3 | Kent Andersson | 2 | Sweden | Yamaha | 67 | 1 |
4 | Jarno Saarinen | Finland | Yamaha | 57 | 0 | |
5 | Börje Jansson | 5 | Sweden | Yamaha | 34 | 0 |
6 | Chas Mortimer | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 30 | 0 | |
7 | Gyula Marsovsky | Switzerland | Yamaha | 28 | 0 | |
8 | Santiago Herrero | 3 | Spain | Ossa | 27 | 1 |
9 | Bo Granath | Sweden | Yamaha | 25 | 0 | |
10 | Silvio Grassetti | Italy | Yamaha | 24 | 0 | |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Dieter Braun | 2 | West Germany | Suzuki | 84 | 4 |
2 | Angel Nieto | Spain | Derbi | 72 | 4 | |
3 | Börje Jansson | Sweden | Maico | 62 | 0 | |
4 | Dave Simmonds | 1 | United Kingdom | Kawasaki | 57 | 1 |
5 | László Szabó | 8 | Hungary | MZ | 34 | 0 |
6 | Toni Gruber | West Germany | Maico | 33 | 0 | |
7 | Aalt Toersen | Netherlands | Suzuki | 31 | 0 | |
8 | John Dodds | Australia | Aermacchi | 24 | 1 | |
9 | Gunter Bartusch | East Germany | MZ | 22 | 0 | |
10 | Heinz Kriwanek | Austria | Rotax | 25 | 0 | |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Angel Nieto | 1 | Spain | Derbi | 87 | 5 |
2 | Aalt Toersen | 2 | Netherlands | Jamathi | 75 | 3 |
3 | Rudolf Kunz | 8 | West Germany | Kreidler | 66 | 0 |
4 | Salvador Cañellas | Spain | Derbi | 63 | 1 | |
5 | Jan De Vries | 4 | Netherlands | Kreidler | 60 | 1 |
6 | Jos Schurgers | Netherlands | Kreidler | 41 | 0 | |
7 | Martin Mijwaart | 10 | Netherlands | Jamathi | 40 | 0 |
8 | Ludwig Fassbender | 9 | West Germany | Kreidler | 17 | 0 |
9 | Gilberto Parlotti | 6 | Italy | Tomos | 15 | 1 |
10 | Harald Bartol | Austria | Kreidler | 11 | 0 | |
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start of the twentieth century and large national events were often given the title Grand Prix. The foundation of the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme as the international governing body for motorcycle sport in 1949 provided the opportunity to coordinate rules and regulations in order that selected events could count towards official World Championships. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship.
Giacomo Agostini is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, he amassed 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championship titles. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500 cc class, the rest in the 350 cc class. For these achievements obtained over the course of a career spanning 17 years, the AMA described him as "...perhaps the greatest Grand Prix rider of all time". In 2000, Agostini was inducted into the MotoGP Hall of Fame as a MotoGP Legend, while in 2010, he was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
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.
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Phillip William Read, is an English former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from 1961 to 1976. Read is notable for being the first competitor to win world championships in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc classes. Although he was often overshadowed by his contemporary, Mike Hailwood, he won seven FIM Grand Prix road racing world championships. In 2013, Read was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.
The 1956 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the eighth 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 8 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on 9 September.
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.
The 1972 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 24th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 April, with West German Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 23 September.
The 1964 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 16th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 2 February, with United States Grand Prix and ended with Japanese Grand Prix on 1 November.
The 1965 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 17th 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 21 March, with United States Grand Prix and ended with Japanese Grand Prix on October, 24.
The 1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 18th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 8 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Japanese Grand Prix on 17 October.
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.
The 1969 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 21st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 4 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Yugoslavian Grand Prix on 14 September.
Dave Simmonds was a British professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. He competed in the Grand Prix world championships from 1963 to 1972. Simmonds is notable for winning the 1969 125 cc FIM road racing world championship.
The 1971 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 23rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 9 May, with Austrian Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 26 September.
Anton "Toni" Mang is a former five-time world champion in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from Germany.
Hideo Kanaya was a Japanese professional motorcycle racer and motorcycle racing team manager. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle road racing world championships from 1967 to 1975. He dominated Japanese road racing in the early 1970s and was the first Japanese rider to win a world championship 500cc Grand Prix race. Although Kanaya was a competitive racer, he was never allowed to compete in a full season in the world championships as, his main responsibility was as a test rider in Japan.
Bosse "Bo" Granath is a Swedish former Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. His most successful competitive year was 1972, when he finished fifth in the 500cc world championship riding a Husqvarna motorcycle.
The MV Agusta 500cc road racers were motorcycles that the manufacturer MV Agusta built and which were used to compete in 500cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing series between 1950 and 1976. 18 500cc world championship titles were achieved with these machines ridden by John Surtees, Gary Hocking, Mike Hailwood, Giacomo Agostini and Phil Read between 1958 and 1974.
But for 1970 he decided to take advantage of the arrival of the world's first multi-cylinder two stroke 500 GP customer racer, the Kawasaki H1R triple