Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier championship of motorcycle road racing, which has been divided into three classes since 1990: 125cc, 250cc and MotoGP. Classes that have been discontinued include 350cc, 50cc/80cc and sidecar. [1] The Grand Prix Road-Racing World Championship was established in 1949 by the sport's governing body, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), and is the oldest motorsport World Championship. [2] The 350cc class existed from 1949 until 1982. [3] The 350cc referred to the size of the engines of the motorcycles that participated in the class. The engines had four cylinders, similar to the types of engines used in MotoGP today. [3]
Each season consisted of 5 to 12 Grands Prix contested on closed circuits, as opposed to public roads. Points earned in these events counted toward the drivers' and constructors' world championships. The driver's and constructor's championship were separate championships, but were based on the same point system. The points systems used in the championship varied over the years. The first championship in 1949 awarded 10 points to the race winner with 8, 7, 6 and 5 points from second place to fifth place, a point was also awarded for the rider who completed the fastest lap. The last championship in 1982 awarded 15 points for a win, with 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point from second place to tenth place. [4] Results from all Grands Prix counted towards the championships; however, in some seasons only a certain number of results were counted. [5]
Giacomo Agostini won the most championships with seven during his career. Jim Redman won the second most championships with four and John Surtees the third most with three championships. [6] Johnny Cecotto is the youngest rider to have won the championship: he was 19 years old when he won in 1975. [7] British riders won the most championships; eight riders won a total of 14 championships. Italian riders were second with eight championships between two riders and Rhodesians were third with five championships. MV Agusta was the constructor that riders won the most championships with; they won ten championships. Honda was second with six and Moto Guzzi third with five. [6] Freddie Frith won the inaugural championship in 1949. Anton Mang was the last champion before the class was discontinued in 1982. [8]
Champion also won the 500cc championship in that season | |
Champion also won the 250cc championship in that season | |
— | Indicates information is not available |
Rider | Total | Seasons |
---|---|---|
Giacomo Agostini | 7 | 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974 |
Jim Redman | 4 | 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965 |
John Surtees | 3 | 1958, 1959, 1960 |
Geoff Duke | 2 | 1951, 1952 |
Fergus Anderson | 2 | 1953, 1954 |
Bill Lomas | 2 | 1955, 1956 |
Mike Hailwood | 2 | 1966, 1967 |
Kork Ballington | 2 | 1978, 1979 |
Anton Mang | 2 | 1981, 1982 |
Constructor | Total |
---|---|
MV Agusta | 10 |
Honda | 6 |
Moto Guzzi | 5 |
Kawasaki | 4 |
Yamaha | 4 |
Norton | 2 |
Velocette | 2 |
Harley-Davidson | 1 |
Country | Riders | Total |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 8 | 14 |
Italy | 2 | 8 |
Rhodesia | 3 | 5 |
South Africa | 2 | 3 |
West Germany | 1 | 2 |
Japan | 1 | 1 |
Venezuela | 1 | 1 |
A. ^ John Surtees and Gary Hocking finished the 1960 championship tied on 22 points. Surtees was declared the winner by virtue of having more third-place finishes than Hocking, as they were tied on first and second places finishes. [9]
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.
Franco Uncini is an Italian former professional Grand Prix motorcycle road racing. He was 1982 FIM Road Racing World Champion with Suzuki. He was inducted into the F.I.M. MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2016.
The 2006 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 58th Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) Road racing World Championship season. The season consisted out of 17 races for the MotoGP class and 16 for the 125cc and 250cc classes, beginning with the Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix on 26 March 2006 and ending with the Valencian Community motorcycle Grand Prix on 29 October.
The Ulster Grand Prix is a motorcycle race that takes place on the 7.401 mi (11.911 km) Dundrod Circuit made up entirely of closed-off public roads near Belfast, Northern Ireland. The first races took place in 1922 and in 1935 and 1948 the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme gave it the title Grand Prix d'Europe. The Ulster Grand Prix was included as one of the races in the inaugural 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season, a place it held until 1971. It also counted for the Formula TT Championship between 1979 and 1990. According to the race organisers, it is the fastest road race in the world.
The 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Anton "Toni" Mang is a former five-time world champion in Grand Prix motorcycle racing from Germany.
The 2011 German motorcycle Grand Prix was the ninth round of the 2011 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 15–17 July 2011 at the Sachsenring, located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany. The 125cc race was notable for producing a dead heat for first place between Héctor Faubel and Johann Zarco. After a photo finish could not separate the riders, Faubel was awarded first place on the basis that he set a faster laptime during the race.
The 2014 FIM MotoGP World Championship was the premier class of the 66th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Marc Márquez started the season as the defending riders' champion in the MotoGP category, with Honda the defending manufacturers' champions.
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.
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