1972 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Sports season April 2014 1972 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 1971 1973 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. Season summary thumb|right|Giacomo Agostini at the 1972 Dutch TT. Giacomo Agostini's reign as the 500cc World Champion continued in 1972 with the MV Agusta rider winning his seventh consecutive title by claiming a record 11 victories in the 13-round series.Dennis Noyes 1999 Michael Scott Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix Hazleton Publishing Ltd 1-874557-83-7 His record stood until 1997 when Mick Doohan won twelve races. Agostini's MV Agusta teammate, Alberto Pagani finished second to Agostini in most of the rounds. By 1972, MV Agusta was the last major manufacturer to compete in the FIM World Championships using four-stroke motorcycles, as advancements in two-stroke engine technology by Japanese manufacturers were becoming evident.https://www.cycleworld.com/blogs/ask-kevin/mv-agusta-four-stroke-racing-technology-development-history/ What If MV Agusta Had Not Lost Its Leadership in 1971? Cycle World 21 August 2026 Cameron Kevin April 25, 2023 Kawasaki returned to the World Championships, providing machines for Dave Simmonds and Eric Offenstadt. The Yamaha factory won its first-ever 500cc Grand Prix race at the season ending Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama when Chas Mortimer won the race after Agostini sat out the event after already winning the championship,http://www.motorcyclenews.com/Classic-Bike/ All I ever wanted to do was race Oxley Mat 385 78–84 February 2012 Classic Bike 0142-890X 24 February 2012 25 February 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120225064524/http://www.motorcyclenews.com/Classic-Bike/ dead thumb|left|Giacomo Agostini (1) in action during the 1972 350cc Dutch TT. The 350 class proved to be more of a challenge for Agostini where he faced strong opposition from Yamaha rider, Jarno Saarinen. At the season-opening German Grand Prix held at the daunting Nürburgring race track, Saarinen defeated Agostini for the first time in a head-to-head race. It also marked the first time that Agostini had lost a race since the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix.Frank Weeink 2013 Jan Burgers Continental Circus: The Races and the Places, the People and the Faces : Pictures and Stories from the Early Seventies Mastix Press 978-90-818639-5-7 https://books.google.com/books?id=xuk2oAEACAAJ&q=continental+circus Saarinen also won the 350cc French Grand Prix and scored a double victory at the Czechoslovak Grand Prix with victories in both the 250cc and 350cc classes. Agostini would eventually prevail to clinch the 350 title with six victories however, the threat from Saarinen's two stroke Yamaha was so strong that the previously dominant MV Agusta factory was forced to produce a new 350cc motorcycle for Agostini. thumb|right|Phil Read (1) leads Jarno Saarinen (22) during the 1972 250cc Dutch TT. The 1972 250cc World Championship began with four different race-winners, (Hideo Kanaya (Yamaha), Phil Read (Yamaha), Börje Jansson (Maico), and Renzo Pasolini (Aermacchi), however Saarinen led Pasolini in the championship points race due to his consistent results. After Barry Sheene was injured at the 250cc Nations Grand Prix, his specially made, factory-supported Yamaha YZ635 was given to Saarinen."Ikuisesti nuori" by Arto Teronen - 978-952-6644-00-4, p.145 Saarinen rode the special Yamaha to win four of the last six Grand Prix races to clinch the 250cc World Championship by a single point over Pasolini. Angel Nieto claimed a double, winning the 125cc and 50cc championships for Derbi before the Spanish factory announced its withdrawal from Grand Prix racing. This would be the final season for the East German Grand Prix as a championship race, as SED officials, troubled by fans singing Das Lied der Deutschen (the West German national anthem) after Dieter Braun's victory the previous season, limited entries to only Eastern Bloc nations beginning in 1973. On 23 October 1972, Dave Simmonds was killed in a fire caused by an exploding gas cylinder in a caravan owned by fellow racer Jack Findlay while attending a non-championship motorcycle race at Rungis near Paris. Mick Walker (motorcycling) Walker Mick Mick Walker's Japanese Grand Prix Racing Motorcycles Redline Books 2002 978-0-9531311-8-1 https://books.google.com/books?id=fpoF0PMZEjEC&pg=PA85 2011-08-28 Agostini's Isle of Man TT boycott When Gilberto Parlotti died in an accident while competing in the 1972 Isle of Man TT, Agostini announced he would never again compete in the event, as he considered the 37.73-mile circuit unsafe for world championship competition. At the time, the Isle of Man TT was the most prestigious race on the international motorcycle racing calendar, and his stature as the reigning World Champion gave the announcement an immense impact on the sport.https://www.motorsport.com/roadracing/news/the-moral-complexities-of-the-isle-of-man-tt-that-cant-be-ignored-/10321841/ The moral complexities of the Isle of Man TT that can't be ignored Motorsport.com Agostini's decision to boycott the event had far-reaching consequences for the TT and would lead to a walk-out of the top Grand Prix stars, many of whom resorted to severe criticism of the organisation and safety at the event, with people such as Phil Read in the vanguard of the critics.https://www.iomtoday.co.im/news/former-tt-star-phil-read-is-recovering-from-covid-19-virus-234685 Former TT star Phil Read is recovering from Covid-19 virus Iomtoday.co.im 2 May 2020 https://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/2022/september/phil-read-obituary/ Phil Read – 'The Prince of Speed' – has died aged 83 Motorcyclenews.com In response, the FIM decided that the Isle of Man TT would be withdrawn from the World Championship calendar after the 1976 races. The British round of the FIM championship was held at Silverstone Circuit on the mainland from 1977 onwards. Agostini maintained that he did not object to the event itself, but that he only opposed riders being contractually required to enter such a dangerous race as part of a World Championship campaign. 1972 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report 1 30 April FRG German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife NLD Jan de Vries ITA Gilberto Parlotti JPN Hideo Kanaya FIN Jarno Saarinen ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Schauzu / Kalauch Report 2 7 May FRA French Grand Prix Charade ITA Gilberto Parlotti GBR Phil Read FIN Jarno Saarinen ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Luthringshauser / Cusnik Report 3 14 May AUT Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring ESP 1945 Angel Nieto SWE Börje Jansson ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 4 21 May ITA Nations Grand Prix Imola NLD Jan de Vries ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA Renzo Pasolini ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 5 9 June IOM Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain GBR Chas Mortimer GBR Phil Read ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Schauzu / Kalauch Report 6 18 June Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija NLD Jan Bruins SWE Kent Andersson ITA Renzo Pasolini HUN János Drapál ITA Alberto Pagani Report 7 24 June NLD Dutch TT Assen ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ESP 1945 Angel Nieto GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 8 2 July BEL Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ESP 1945 Angel Nieto FIN Jarno Saarinen ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 9 9 July DDR Grand Prix of the DRG Sachsenring NLD Theo Timmer SWE Börje Jansson FIN Jarno Saarinen GBR Phil Read ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 10 16 July TCH Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno SWE Börje Jansson FIN Jarno Saarinen FIN Jarno Saarinen ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 11 23 July SWE Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp NLD Jan de Vries ESP 1945 Angel Nieto GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 12 30 July FIN Finnish Grand Prix Imatra SWE Kent Andersson FIN Jarno Saarinen ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini GBR Vincent / Casey Report 13 23 September ESP 1945 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuïc ESP 1945 Angel Nieto SWE Kent Andersson ITA Renzo Pasolini CHE Bruno Kneubühler GBR Chas Mortimer ReportSources:https://www.motogp.com/en/world-standing/1972/500cc/championship-standings 1972 500cc World Championship race results motogp.com 9 March 2026https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1972-world-motorcycle-championship/ 1972 500cc World Championship race results motorsportmagazine.com 9 March 2026 Final standings Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of five races were counted on 50cc and Sidecars championships, while in the 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, the best of seven 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 500cc final standings Pos Rider Machine GERDEU FRAFRA AUTAUT NACITA MANIOM YUGYUG HOLNLD BELBEL DDRDDR TCHTCH SWESWE FINFIN ESPESP 1945 Pts 1 ITA Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 Ret 1 1 1 1 1 1 105 (165) 2 ITA Alberto Pagani MV Agusta 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 87 3 CHE Bruno Kneubühler Yamaha 11 4 8 5 Ret 3 4 3 7 Ret 4 54 (57) 4 GBR Rodney Gould Yamaha 3 2 4 2 3 52 5 SWE Bo Granath Husqvarna 6 6 3 Ret 5 Ret 5 6 7 3 12 Ret 47 (51) 6 GBR Chas Mortimer Yamaha 2 5 Ret 5 Ret 8 Ret 1 42 7 GBR Dave Simmonds Kawasaki 4 Ret 4 Ret 4 5 2 42 8 AUS Jack Findlay Jada-Suzuki 7 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 3 31 9 GBR Billie Nelson Honda / Yamaha / Paton 8 7 Ret Ret 9 8 5 9 4 6 31 (33) 10 NZL Kim Newcombe König 3 10 12 Ret 3 Ret 5 Ret 27 11 ITA Guido Mandracci Suzuki 8 2 Ret 4 10 Ret 24 12 FRA Christian Bourgeois Yamaha Ret 2 5 Ret 9 20 13 NLD Rob Bron Suzuki Ret 3 4 Ret 18 14 SWE Sven-Olof Gunnarsson Kawasaki 12 Ret Ret Ret 6 6 Ret 5 16 15 GBR Jerry Lancaster Yamaha / Suzuki 15 Ret Ret 9 7 7 11 7 14 16 DEU Paul Eickleberg König 30 3 8 Ret Ret 1317 GBR Mick Grant Kawasaki 3 10 ITA Bruno Spaggiari Ducati 3 10 19 ITA Gianpiero Zubani Kawasaki 6 Ret 7 9 20 ITA Sergio Baroncini Ducati 9 7 8 14 9 21 DEU Lothar John Yamaha / Suzuki 10 8 11 10 8 18 10 922 GBR Kevin Cowley Seeley-Matchless 4 8 JPN Hideo Kanaya Yamaha International 4 8 GBR Paul Smart Ducati 4 8 25 NLD Piet Van der Wal Kawasaki Ret 13 8 7 726 DEU Ernst Hiller König / Kawasaki 5 Ret Ret 6 FRA André Pogolotti Suzuki 5 Ret Ret 6 GBR Derek Chatterton Yamaha 5 629 FRA Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki / Yamaha Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 SCO Charlie Dobson Kawasaki Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 DEU Klaus Huber Kawasaki Ret 6 5 FIN Pentti Korhonen Yamaha 6 5 GBR Charlie Williams Yamaha 6 5 34 SWE Kurt-Ivan Carlsson Yamaha 14 9 Ret 13 12 Ret 10 Ret 9 535 AUT Alois Maxwald Rotax Ret 7 11 4 ITA Silvano Bertarelli Kawasaki / Paton 7 Ret 4 Wales Selwyn Griffiths Matchless 7 438 GBR Derek Lee Suzuki Ret Ret 8 Ret 3 GBR Clive Brown Suzuki 8 3 ITA Getulio Marcaccini Aermacchi 8 3 GBR Paul Cott Seeley 8 3 42 ITA Carlo Marelli Paton / Kawasaki 10 9 343 HUN Arpád Juhos Metisse-Matchless / Aermacchi 9 15 2 JPN Ken Araoka Kawasaki 9 Ret Ret Ret 2 SWE Johnny Bengtsson Husqvarna-Proto Ret 9 2 FIN Seppo Kangasniemi Yamaha 9 247 ITA Roberto Gallina Paton Ret Ret 10 Ret 1 GBR Maurice Hawthorne Kawasaki Ret Ret 10 1 AUT Josef Özelt Matchless 10 Ret 1 SWE Ulf Nilsson Suzuki 10 1 GBR Charlie Sanby Suzuki 10 1 52 GBR Ron Chandler Kawasaki 13 Ret 11 0 53 FIN Kai Kuparinen Suzuki / Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 19 11 0 54 DEU Ted Janssen Suzuki 27 Ret 11 0 55 AUT Michael Schmid Yamaha 28 11 Ret 0 56 AUS Terry Dennehy Honda Ret 11 Ret 0 57 ITA Giordano Mongardi Ducati 11 Ret 058 FRA Christian Léon Kawasaki 11 0 NIR Billy McCosh Suzuki 11 0 60 CHE Gyula Marsovszky Linto Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 0 61 GBR Steve Ellis Yamaha Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 62 SWE Morgan Radberg Monark Ret 12 063 URY Gustavo Cerdeña Suzuki 12 0 GBR John Hughes Matchless 12 0 GBR Stan Woods Suzuki 12 0 66 CHE Heinz Schmid Suzuki 18 Ret Ret 13 0 67 NZL Keith Turner Suzuki 13 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 68 CHE Jean Campiche Linto Ret 13 Ret 069 SWE Agne Carlsson Husqvarna 13 0 GBR Jeff Wade Yamaha 13 0 71 FIN Kaarlo Koivuniemi Kawasaki 20 14 16 16 Ret 0 72 SWE Börge Andersson Honda 23 14 073 BEL Guy Cooremans Kawasaki 14 0 GBR Roger Nichols Suzuki 14 075 GBR George Fogarty Cunningham-Suzuki 15 0 FRA Jean-Paul Passet Kawasaki 15 0 BEL Jerôme van Haeltert Kawasaki 15 0 SWE Sture Wass Kawasaki 15 079 DEU Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW Ret 16 0 CHE Walter Rüngg Aermacchi 16 Ret 0 81 NIR Garry Mateer Norton 16 0 82 AUT Werner Bergold Kawasaki Ret 17 083 GBR Pete Elmore Petty-Norton 17 0 FRA Jacques Roca Suzuki 17 0 DEU Hans-Jürgen Rothbrust Yamaha 17 0 DNK Claus Tarum Honda 17 0 87 FIN Anssi Resko Kawasaki 18 Ret 0 88 GBR Tom Dickie Cowles-Matchless 18 0 89 DEU Horst Dzierzawa Yamaha 19 Ret 0 90 GBR Brian Lee Aermacchi 19 0 91 SWE Arne Andersson Suzuki 20 0 92 GBR Ken Tilley Norton 20 0 93 DEU Kurt-Harald Florin König 21 Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 94 GBR Roger Bowler Mularny 21 0 95 CHE Werner Giger Kawasaki 22 Ret 0 96 GBR Raymond Ashcroft Yamaha 22 0 97 GBR Hugh Evans Kawasaki 23 098 DEU Udo Kochanski BMW 24 0 GBR Grahan Penny Honda 24 0 100 DEU Willi Bertsch Kawasaki 25 Ret 0 101 GBR Ken Kay Seeley 25 0102 SWE Sten-Gunnar Jansson Kawasaki 26 0 IOM Fred Walton Velocette-Metisse 26 0 104 GBR Ron Baylie Triumph 27 0 105 GBR Walter Dawson Yamaha 28 0106 DEU Otto Labitzke Honda 29 0 GBR Chris Neve Seeley 29 0 108 GBR Tom Loughridge Crooks-Suzuki 30 0 109 NIR Abe Alexander Seeley 31 0 110 GBR Jim Ashton Seeley 32 0 111 GBR Tom Waterer Norton 33 0 112 GBR Ernie Johnson Suzuki 34 0 113 GBR Geoff Barry Oakley-Seeley 35 0 – AUT Karl Auer Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 – USA Cliff Carr Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 0 – FRA André-Luc Appietto Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 0 – GBR Godfrey Nash Honda Ret Ret Ret 0 – TCH Bohumil Staša ČZ Ret Ret Ret 0 – FRA Gérard Debrock Kawasaki Ret Ret 0 – NLD Wil Hartog Riemanoc-Yamaha Ret Ret 0 – FIN Kari Lahtinen Yamaha Ret Ret 0 Pos Rider Bike GERDEU FRAFRA AUTAUT NACITA MANIOM YUGYUG HOLNLD BELBEL DDRDDR TCHTCH SWESWE FINFIN ESPESP 1945 PtsSources: Notes: Clive Brown and Paul Cott set equal times in the 1972 Isle of Man Senior TT and tie for eighth place.Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap 1972 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 ITA Giacomo Agostini1 Italy MV Agusta10262 FIN Jarno Saarinen2 Finland Yamaha8933 ITA Renzo Pasolini Italy Aermacchi7804 FRG Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha5405 GBR Phil Read16 United Kingdom MV Agusta5116 CHE Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Yamaha4517 FIN Teuvo Lansivuori10 Finland Yamaha4207 HUN János Drapál Hungary Yamaha4219 JPN Hideo Kanaya Japan Yamaha41010 AUS Jack Findlay32 Australia Yamaha410 1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 FIN Jarno Saarinen3 Finland Yamaha9442 ITA Renzo Pasolini28 Italy Aermacchi9333 GBR Rodney Gould2 United Kingdom Yamaha8824 GBR Phil Read1 United Kingdom Yamaha5825 FIN Teuvo Lansivuori22 Finland Yamaha4606 AUS John Dodds4 Australia Yamaha4207 SWE Kent Andersson14 Sweden Yamaha3908 SWE Börje Jansson Sweden Maico3619 ITA Silvio Grassetti7 Italy MZ30010 CHE Werner Pfirter20 Switzerland Yamaha280 1972 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 ESP 1945 Angel Nieto1 Spain Derbi9752 SWE Kent Andersson9 Sweden Yamaha8733 GBR Chas Mortimer5 United Kingdom Yamaha8714 SWE Börje Jansson3 Sweden Maico7815 ITA Gilberto Parlotti8 Italy Morbidelli5226 GBR Dave Simmonds6 United Kingdom Kawasaki4407 AUT Harald Bartol Austria Suzuki3708 FRG Dieter Braun4 West Germany Maico2509 NLD Jos Schurgers Netherlands Bridgestone23010 DDR Bernd Köhlar23 East Germany MZ230 1972 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 ESP 1945 Angel Nieto2 Spain Derbi6932 NLD Jan de Vries1 Netherlands Kreidler6933 NLD Theo Timmer Netherlands Jamathi5014 NLD Jan Bruins10 Netherlands Kreidler3915 ITA Otello Buscherini Italy Malanca3206 AUT Hans Hummel Austria Kreidler2607 AUT Harald Bartol Austria Kreidler2608 NLD Jan Huberts Netherlands Kreidler2509 FRG Rudolf Kunz4 West Germany Kreidler17010 ESP 1945 Benjamin Grau Spain Derbi120 References Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. 2-940125-32-5 The Official MotoGP website http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1972/NAT/500cc/World+Standing 6 July 2010 18 September 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120918192621/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1972/NAT/500cc/World+Standing dead Category:Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons Grand Prix motorcycle racing season