The 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 32nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Yamaha's Kenny Roberts claimed his third successive 500cc world championship in a season shortened by the cancellations of the Venezuelan and Austrian rounds. [1] Randy Mamola took over at Suzuki from Barry Sheene. Kawasaki returned to the 500cc class with a monocoque, four cylinder bike for Kork Ballington. [1] Honda soldiered on with its exotic four-stroke NR500 but began to realize it was at a disadvantage against its two-stroke opposition. [1]
There were only six rounds in the 350cc class that saw South Africa's Jon Ekerold, a true privateer, take the championship from the Kawasaki factory-sponsored Anton Mang. [1] Mang would take the 250cc crown from defending champion Ballington while Pier Paolo Bianchi won the 125cc title. [1] Eugenio Lazzarini won a tight battle from Swiss Stefan Dörflinger to take the 50cc championship by only 2 points. [2]
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1980: [3] [4]
Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 11 May | ![]() | Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica |
2 | 18 May | ![]() | Circuito Permanente Del Jarama |
3 | 25 May | ![]() | Circuit Paul Ricard |
4 | 15 Jun | ![]() | Automotodrom Rijeka |
5 | 28 June | ![]() | TT Circuit Assen |
6 | 6 July | ![]() | Circuit Zolder |
7 | 27 July | ![]() | Imatra Circuit |
8 | 10 August | ![]() | Silverstone Circuit |
9 | 17 August | ![]() | Brno Circuit |
10 | 24 August | ![]() | Nürburgring-Nordschleife |
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Points are awarded to the top ten finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
Place | Rider | Team | Machine | NAT ![]() | ESP ![]() | FRA ![]() | NED ![]() | BEL ![]() | FIN ![]() | GBR ![]() | GER ![]() | Points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | Yamaha International | YZR500 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 87 |
2 | ![]() | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 72 |
3 | ![]() | Nava Gallina-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 3 | 1 | 59 |
4 | ![]() | Uncini-Suzuki | RG500 | 2 | 7 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 50 |
5 | ![]() | Nava Gallina-Suzuki | RG500 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 2 | Ret | 13 | 4 | Ret | 38 |
6 | ![]() | Riemersma Racing | RG500 | Ret | Ret | 19 | 5 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 31 | |
7 | ![]() | Venemotos-Yamaha | YZR500 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | Ret | 5 | 6 | 31 | |
8 | ![]() | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 12 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 29 | |
9 | ![]() | IMN-Yamaha | YZR500 | DNS | 15 | Ret | 1 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 8 | 20 |
10 | ![]() | Honda-HRC | RG500/NR500 | 6 | 4 | 6 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 12 | 18 | |
11 | ![]() | Team Gattina | RG500 | 5 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 7 | 7 | Ret | 9 | 17 |
12 | ![]() | Team Kawasaki | KR500 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 13 | ||
13 | ![]() | Frankonia-Suzuki | RG500 | 9 | 8 | 16 | Ret | 11 | 8 | 8 | Ret | 11 |
14 | ![]() | IMN-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | 18 | 19 | 4 | 9 | Ret | 16 | Ret | 10 |
15 | ![]() | Akai-Yamaha | YZR500 | 7 | 5 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 10 | ||
16 | ![]() | Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | Ret | 10 | |
17 | ![]() | Ecurie Ste Pernod | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 14 | 4 | ||
18 | ![]() | Ecurie Ste Pernod | RG500 | DNQ | 11 | 7 | 14 | Ret | 15 | Ret | 4 | |
19 | ![]() | Team Furygan Suzuki | RG500 | 8 | 16 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 3 | ||
20 | ![]() | RG500 | 9 | DNQ | 25 | 2 | ||||||
21 | ![]() | Yamaha International | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 12 | DNQ | 15 | 9 | Ret | 15 | 2 |
22 | ![]() | Elf-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | 9 | 22 | Ret | DNQ | 18 | Ret | Ret | 2 |
23 | ![]() | Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | 12 | 10 | 14 | 1 | |
24 | ![]() | Nava Kucera Racing Team | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 22 | 10 | 1 | |||
25 | ![]() | GME Motul GPA | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 1 | ||
26 | ![]() | Mitsui-Yamaha | YZR500 | 15 | DNQ | 10 | 1 | |||||
27 | ![]() | RG500 | 10 | Ret | 21 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 1 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 11 | 23 | 13 | 13 | 0 | ||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 18 | Ret | 11 | 16 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | Ret | 11 | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 18 | 12 | 14 | Ret | 19 | Ret | 0 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 12 | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 19 | 20 | 13 | Ret | DNQ | 0 | ||||
![]() | RG500 | 13 | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 14 | 14 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 23 | 0 | |||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | 14 | 0 | |||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 14 | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 16 | 23 | 18 | 0 | |||
![]() | RG500 | 16 | Ret | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | 17 | DNQ | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 17 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 17 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 18 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 19 | 25 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 19 | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 20 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 20 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Morbidelli | Ret | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 21 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 21 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 22 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 26 | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 27 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 28 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 29 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 0 | ||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | Sol/Bimota | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | DNS | DNS | 0 | |||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | KR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | KR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | GP500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNS | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Yamato | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 8 | South Africa | Yamaha | 63 | 3 |
2 | ![]() | 4 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 60 | 2 |
3 | ![]() | France | Kawasaki | 38 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | Venezuela | Yamaha | 37 | 1 | |
5 | ![]() | 10 | Australia | Yamaha | 25 | 0 |
6 | ![]() | France | Yamaha | 24 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() | 27 | Switzerland | Yamaha | 21 | 0 |
8 | ![]() | 4 | Italy | Yamaha | 19 | 0 |
9 | ![]() | 4 | Italy | Yamaha | 16 | 0 |
10 | ![]() | 2 | France | Yamaha | 12 | 0 |
11 | Carlo Perugini | Usa | 10 | |||
12 | Tony Head | usa | 9 | |||
13 | Carlos Lavado | Usa | 8 | |||
14 | Roland Freymond | fra | 7 | |||
15 | Gregg Hansford | Fra | 6 | |||
16 | Tony Rogers | Fra | 6 | |||
17 | Jacques Bolle | Ita | 6 | |||
18 | Keith Huewen | Ita | 6 | |||
19 | Thierry Espié | Ita | 6 | |||
20 | Jean Louis Tournadre | aus | 5 | |||
21 | Loris Reggiani | aus | 4 | |||
22 | Graeme McGregor | Aus | 4 | |||
23 | Alan North | Jpn | 2 | |||
24 | Pekka Nurmi | Jpn | 1 | |||
25 | Edi Stoellinger | Jpn | 1 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 6 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 128 | 4 |
2 | ![]() | 1 | South Africa | Kawasaki | 87 | 5 |
3 | ![]() | 8 | France | Kawasaki | 59 | 0 |
4 | ![]() | France | Yamaha | 53 | 0 | |
5 | ![]() | 10 | Switzerland | Morbidelli | 46 | 0 |
6 | ![]() | Venezuela | Yamaha | 29 | 1 | |
7 | ![]() | Italy | Yamaha | 28 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | Switzerland | Yamaha | 26 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() | France | Yamaha | 24 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() | 5 | France | Yamaha | 16 | 0 |
11 | Edi Stoellinger | Usa | 16 | |||
12 | Hans Müller | usa | 16 | |||
13 | Sauro Pazzaglia | usa | 12 | |||
14 | Graeme McGregor | Fra | 12 | |||
15 | Pier Luigi Conforti | Fra | 10 | |||
16 | Jean-Louis Guignabodet | Fra | 9 | |||
17 | Didier de Radiguès | ita | 8 | |||
18 | Eero Hyvärinen | Ita | 8 | |||
19 | Clive Horton | Ita | 7 | |||
20 | Paolo Ferretti | jpn | 7 | |||
21 | Greame Geddes | Jpn | 6 | |||
22 | R.Sibille | jpn | 6 | |||
23 | Steve Tonkin | Kor | 5 | |||
24 | Jacques Bolle | irl | 5 | |||
25 | Herbert Hauf | Aut | 4 | |||
26 | A.Gouin | ita | 4 | |||
27 | Reinhold Roth | ita | 4 | |||
28 | Walter Villa | Ita | 4 | |||
29 | Charlie Williams | Can | 2 | |||
30 | Martin Wimmer | Chi | 2 | |||
31 | Marco Papa | mex | 1 | |||
32 | Jean-Louis Tournadre | Gbr | 1 | |||
33 | Rene Delaby | Gbr | 1 | |||
34 | F.Marcheggiani | Gbr | 1 | |||
35 | Tony Rogers | fin | 1 | |||
36 | H.Tomic | Nze | 1 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 10 | Italy | MBA | 90 | 2 |
2 | ![]() | 6 | France | Motobécane | 81 | 3 |
3 | ![]() | 1 | Spain | Minarelli | 78 | 4 |
4 | ![]() | 9 | Switzerland | MBA | 68 | 0 |
5 | ![]() | Switzerland | MBA | 64 | 0 | |
6 | ![]() | Italy | Minarelli | 63 | 1 | |
7 | ![]() | Venezuela | MBA | 28 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | 2 | Italy | Minarelli | 20 | 0 |
9 | ![]() | Netherlands | MBA | 18 | 0 | |
10 | ![]() | Australia | MBA | 17 | 0 | |
11 | Harald Bartol | usa | 15 | |||
12 | Ricardo Tormo | usa | 13 | |||
13 | Stefan Dörflinger | Usa | 13 | |||
14 | Gianpaolo Marchetti | Fra | 10 | |||
15 | August Auinger | Fra | 9 | |||
16 | Jose Dubon | fra | 8 | |||
17 | Eugenio Lazzarini | Ita | 8 | |||
18 | Rolf Blatter | Ita | 8 | |||
19 | Henk Van Kessel | Ita | 8 | |||
20 | Gert Bender | jpn | 6 | |||
21 | Michel Galbit | Jpn | 6 | |||
22 | P.Herouard | jpn | 6 | |||
23 | Janos Drapal | kor | 5 | |||
24 | Thierry Noblesse | Can | 4 | |||
25 | Matti Kinnunen | Irl | 4 | |||
26 | Jhonni Baeckstroem | Gbr | 2 | |||
27 | S.Janssen | gbr | 2 | |||
28 | Jean Claude Selini | Gbr | 2 | |||
29 | Johnny Wickstroem | Irl | 1 | |||
30 | Hugo Vignetti | Ita | 1 | |||
31 | Z.Ljeljak | can | 1 | |||
32 | Anton Straver | Mex | 1 |
Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() | 1 | Italy | Iprem [6] | 74 | 2 |
2 | ![]() | 10 | Switzerland | Kreidler | 72 | 2 |
3 | ![]() | Austria | Kreidler | 37 | 0 | |
4 | ![]() | Spain | Kreidler | 36 | 2 | |
5 | ![]() | 7 | Netherlands | Kreidler | 31 | 0 |
6 | ![]() | Netherlands | Kreidler The Best Team | 24 | 0 | |
7 | ![]() | Netherlands | Bultaco | 19 | 0 | |
8 | ![]() | France | ABF | 18 | 0 | |
9 | ![]() | 8 | France | ABF | 18 | 0 |
10 | ![]() | West Germany | Kreidler | 15 | 0 | |
11 | ![]() | Usa | 14 | |||
12 | ![]() | Usa | 7 | |||
13 | ![]() | Usa | 7 | |||
14 | ![]() | Spa | 6 | |||
15 | ![]() | Spa | 4 | |||
16 | ![]() | Spa | 4 | |||
17 | ![]() | ita | 3 | |||
18 | ![]() | Ita | 3 | |||
19 | ![]() | Ita | 2 | |||
20 | ![]() | Irl | 1 | |||
21 | ![]() | Fin | 1 |
Jarno Karl Keimo Saarinen was a Finnish professional Motorcycle racer. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1968 to 1971 as Yamaha privateer, before receiving the Yamaha factory's full support in 1972 and 1973. In the early 1970s, he was considered one of the most promising and talented motorcycle road 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 solo motorcycle road racing world championship. Saarinen was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2009.
The 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 30th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The 1975 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 27th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Hugh Neville "Kork" Ballington is a South African former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in the Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1976 to 1982, most prominently as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team with whom he won four FIM road racing world championships. Ballington was inducted into the MotoGP Legends Hall of Fame in 2018.
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 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
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.
The 1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 29th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 33rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
The 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 34th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
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.
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.
Anton "Toni" Mang is a former five-time world champion in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from Germany.
The 1979 Venezuelan motorcycle Grand Prix, the first of 13 rounds of the F.I.M. 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, was held on 18 March at the San Carlos Circuit. British rider Barry Sheene, world champion in 1976 and 1977, won the 500cc GP by 18 seconds from Italian Virginio Ferrari to make it three successive Venezuelan GPs. Venezuelan racer Carlos Lavado won the 350cc class from Italian Walter Villa and Frenchman Patrick Fernandez.