1973 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Sports season 1973 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 1972 1974 The 1973 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 25th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Season summary MV Agusta factory rider Phil Read won the first 500 Class World Championship of his career, denying his teammate, Giacomo Agostini, a chance at an eighth consecutive title.Dennis Noyes 1999 Michael Scott Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix Hazleton Publishing Ltd 1-874557-83-7 Read's victory made him the first competitor to win world championships in the 125 cc, 250 cc and 500 cc classes, a feat only matched by Valentino Rossi. However the season was marred by the deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini at the 250 cc Nations Grand Prix held at Monza. Saarinen had won the 1972 250 cc World Championship by one point over Pasolini and their deaths shocked the motorcycle racing community.http://www.mcnews.com.au/jarno-saarinen/ Jarno Saarinen mcnews.com 2026-08-26 The 500cc title runner-up, Kim Newcombe, also died while competing in a non-championship race at Silverstone late in the year. 1973 marked the first year that most of the top competitors joined Agostini in boycotting the Isle of Man TT event over safety concerns.https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events?meet_code=TT73%20%20&era=4 1973 Isle of Man TT summary iomtt.com 25 August 2026 For the first time in years, MV Agusta's dominance of the 500 Class faced a strong challenge in 1973 from the Yamaha factory team. The Yamaha team fielded riders Jarno Saarinen and Hideo Kanaya aboard their new four-cylinder, two-stroke Yamaha YZR500 motorcycle. The MV Agusta team produced the new four cylinder MV Agusta 500 Four for Agostini and Read. Eric Offenstadt continued to campaign a Kawasaki H1R modified with a monocoque chassis of his own design.https://www.mcnews.com.au/eric-offenstadt-kawasaki-500-monocoque-racer/ Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki 500 monocoque racer mcnews.com 2026-09-16 Suzuki supported rider Jack Findlay racing a Suzuki TR500. Kim Newcombe developed a motorcycle of his own design using a two-stroke outboard motor designed by Dieter König. Numerous privateer racers chose to compete using the Yamaha TZ350 motorcycle bored out to 352cc to make them legal for the 500cc class. Saarinen demonstrated the new Yamaha's potential with victories in France and Austria to start the 1973 season. Agostini crashed in France while pursuing Saarinen and had to withdraw with mechanical issues in Austria.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 Read scored his first victory of the year at the third round in West Germany when Saarinen's drive chain broke while he was challenging Read for the lead. Yamaha and Saarinen were leading the World Championship when an accident at the 1973 Nations Grand Prix claimed the lives of Saarinen and Pasolini. The loss of Saarinen caused Yamaha to withdraw their team from the World Championship out of respect for their fallen rider. thumb|right|Giacomo Agostini (1) leads Phil Read (4) and Teuvo Länsivuori (10) during the 1973 350cc Dutch TT. Most of the top contenders joined in Giacomo Agostini's boycott of the fifth round at the Isle of Man TT over safety conditions.https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events?meet_code=TT73%20%20&era=4 1973 Isle of Man TT iomtt.com 18 September 2026 Agostini's absence allowed 38-year-old Jack Findlay to win the first Isle of Man Senior TT of his career after 15 previous attempts.https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1973/9/1/isle-of-man-tt Isle of Man TT Cycle World 18 September 2026 Nicholls B.R. September 1, 1973TT 1973 Senior TT Race Results - iomtt.com https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=TT73&race_seq=8 iomtt.com 17 September 2026 Against a field of more powerful, twin cylinder motorcycles, Peter Williams rode an obsolete, single cylinder Matchless G50 to an impressive second place behind Findlay.Wagon Wheels https://www.teamobsolete.com/wagon-wheels teamobsolete.com 16 September 2026 In the wake of the Monza tragedy, the MV Agusta, Suzuki and Harley-Davidson teams chose to sit out the Yugoslavian Grand Prix over safety conditions at the Opatija Circuit. Kim Newcombe won the Yugoslavian Grand Prix against a reduced field of competitors. Agostini's mechanical issues along with the cancellation of the 500cc Nations Grand Prix after Saarinen's death and the subsequent boycotts of the Isle of Man TT and the Yugoslavian Grand Prix over unsafe conditions, meant that he did not score any points in the first seven races of the season.https://amcn.com.au/editorial/giacomo-agostini/ Unsurpassed GOAT - Giacomo Agostini amcn.com.au 25 August 2026 Meanwhile, his MV Agusta teammate Read proved to be less than willing to play a subordinate role to Agostini by scoring points at every opportunity, including a victory in Sweden where he relegated Agostini to second place. Agostini took three victories in the final five races of the season; however, he was unable to overcome his early-season points deficit which allowed Read to claim his first 500 Class World Championship. Read's victory also marked the first time that a World Championship had been won by a motorcycle equipped with disc brakes.https://apracing.com/special-vehicles/motorcycle/history AP Racing Apracing.com 21 September 2026 Newcombe finished the season strongly to climb to second place in the final championship points standings, five points ahead of Agostini in third place. Newcombe's result marked the third time in four years that a New Zealand rider finished second in the premier class – Ginger Molloy in 1970, Keith Turner in 1971 and Newcombe in 1973. In the 350cc class, Agostini was able to win his sixth consecutive World Championship although he was no longer as dominant as in previous years. Yamaha introduced the Yamaha TZ350 which in subsequent seasons would become the dominant machine in the 350 class. Yamaha rider Teuvo Länsivuori used the new motorcycle to relegate Agostini to second place with victories in Czechoslovakia and Sweden. In the wake of the death of early championship points leader, Saarinen, Yamaha privateer Dieter Braun won the 250 cc World Championship ahead of Länsivuori. Kent Andersson gave Yamaha another title in the 125cc class while, 38-year-old Tommy Robb (Yamaha) won the 1973 Ultra-Lightweight TT, marking the first TT victory of his career which began at the 1958 Isle of Man TT.Tommy Robb Isle of Man TT results https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=ALL&ride_id=1865 iomtt.com 14 April 2026 After the Derbi factory withdrew from World Championships in 1972, Jan de Vries (Kreidler) dominated the 50cc class. Monza tragedy thumb|The 250cc race accident in Monza, where Pasolini and Saarinen died When the Grand Prix season arrived at the Monza Circuit for the fourth round of the World Championship, Saarinen led both the 250 and 500 classes. The Monza Circuit, first opened in 1922, was fast and lined with steel barriers which left no room for error for motorcycle racers. The steel guardrails lining the circuit were installed as a result of demands by automobile racers following an accident which occurred during the 1961 Italian Grand Prix when racing driver Wolfgang von Trips and 15 spectators were killed.http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=612 Albino Albertini at Motorsport Memorial motorsportmemorial.org 2026-08-26https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.271001813043338.1073741832.245047132305473&type=3 Black Sunday facebook.com 2017-04-29 Most automobile racers believed steel barriers would improve safety for the racers and spectators, but they had the opposite effect for motorcyclists. When he arrived at Monza, Saarinen had complained about the guardrails, but no action was taken. Despite the installation of two new chicanes for cars during the previous year's Formula One season (placed before the Curva Grande and at Vialone) they were not used for motorcycle racing at Monza.https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~peer/racer-jarno.html Peer Landa's racer idol - Jarno Saarinen ccrma.stanford.edu 2026-08-26 On the first lap of the 250cc race, tragedy struck when the second-placed rider, Pasolini's motorcycle lurched sideways and crashed into the guardrail, killing him instantly.http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=1441 Jarno Saarinen at Motorsport Memorial motorsportmemorial.org 2026-08-26 Pasolini's motorcycle then bounced back onto the circuit and struck Saarinen on his head. The impact knocked off his helmet and he subsequently was hit by another motorbike sustaining fatal injuries. The crash caused a chain reaction accident in which more than 14 riders were involved including; Hideo Kanaya, Walter Villa, Victor Palomo, Fosco Giansanti, Börje Jansson and Chas Mortimer with several of them suffering serious injuries. The race was stopped and the following 500cc race was cancelled in the aftermath of the accident. Over the years, the cause of the accident was the subject to significant controversy.http://www.tz350.net/roger_gowenlock_stories3.htm www.TZ350.net 2006-08-21 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20060821050727/http://www.tz350.net/roger_gowenlock_stories3.htm August 21, 2006 The original cause of the crash was attributed to a thin layer of motor oil left on the track during the 350cc race when Walter Villa's Benelli began smoking and leaking oil on the penultimate lap. Race officials failed to clean the track prior to the 250cc race, and one rider, John Dodds, made his concerns known to authorities, only to meet with threats of ejection from the circuit by police. However, some articles have appeared showing photos of Pasolini's bike consistent with engine seizure, locking the rear wheel and causing the crash. Further the official inquiry into the accident, issued in September 1973 found that the cause of the accident was the seizure of the engine in the motorcycle of Renzo Pasolini. The tragedy at Monza was a shock to the motorcycle racing community. Two of the sports best riders had been lost and the factory racing teams of Suzuki, MV Agusta, Harley Davidson, and Yamaha joined to demand safer conditions at race tracks. One month after the Nations Grand Prix, race teams took a stand and boycotted the Yugoslavian Grand Prix held at the Opatija street circuit due to dangerous track conditions.http://www.racingcircuits.info/europe/croatia/preluk-opatija.html Preluk - Opatija racingcircuits.info 26 April 2017 The death of Gilberto Parlotti at the 1972 Isle of Man TT and the deaths of Saarinen and Pasolini in 1973 highlighted the need for improved safety standards for motorcycle racers. At the time, many motorcycle Grand Prix races were still being held on street circuits with hazards such as telephone poles and railroad crossings. Dedicated race tracks of the time were also dangerous for motorcycle racers due to the steel Armco trackside barriers preferred by car racers. Tensions over safety issues continued to simmer throughout the 1970s between the Grand Prix racers, race organizers and the FIM, as riders showed their increasing dissatisfaction with the safety standards and the way races were organized by boycotting several Grand Prix races. 1973 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report1 22 April France French Grand Prix Paul Ricard Sweden Kent Andersson Finland Jarno Saarinen Italy Giacomo Agostini Finland Jarno Saarinen Report2 6 May Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Sweden Kent Andersson Finland Jarno Saarinen Hungary János Drapál Finland Jarno Saarinen Report3 13 May West Germany West German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Netherlands Theo Timmer Sweden Kent Andersson Finland Jarno Saarinen Finland Teuvo Länsivuori UK Phil Read Report4 20 May Italy Nations Grand Prix Monza Netherlands Jan de Vries Sweden Kent Andersson Race cancelledThe 250cc race was stopped, following an accident on the first lap that resulted in the deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini. The race meeting was ultimately cancelled. Italy Giacomo Agostini Race cancelled Report5 8 June UK Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain UK Tommy Robb UK Charlie Williams UK Tony Rutter Australia Jack Findlay Report6 17 June Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Netherlands Jan de Vries Sweden Kent Andersson West Germany Dieter Braun Hungary János Drapál New Zealand Kim Newcombe Report7 23 June Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Italy Eugenio Lazzarini West Germany Dieter Braun Italy Giacomo Agostini UK Phil Read Report8 1 July Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa Netherlands Jan de Vries Netherlands Jos Schurgers Finland Teuvo Länsivuori Italy Giacomo Agostini Report9 15 July Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Italy Otello Buscherini West Germany Dieter Braun Finland Teuvo Länsivuori Italy Giacomo Agostini Report10 21 July Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Netherlands Jan de Vries Sweden Börje Jansson West Germany Dieter Braun Finland Teuvo Länsivuori UK Phil Read Report11 29 July Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Italy Otello Buscherini Finland Teuvo Länsivuori Italy Giacomo Agostini Italy Giacomo Agostini Report12 23 September Spain 1945 Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Netherlands Jan de Vries UK Chas Mortimer Australia John Dodds Brazil Adu Celso UK Phil Read ReportSources:https://www.motogp.com/en/world-standing/1973/500cc/championship-standings 1973 500cc World Championship race results motogp.com 13 March 2026https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1973-world-motorcycle-championship/ 1973 500cc World Championship race results motorsportmagazine.com 13 March 2026 Footnotes N Final standings Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of five results were counted in the Sidecars championship, while only the best of four results were counted in the 50cc championship. The best of seven results were counted in the 125cc championship while only the top six results were counted in the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships. (key) 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 Place Rider Team Machine FRAFRA AUTAUT GERGER NACITA MANGBR YUGYUG HOL NED BEL BEL CZECZE SWESWE FINFIN ESPESP Pts1 UK Phil Read MV Agusta MV500 2 Ret 1 DNS 1 2 2 1 2 1 842 NZL Kim Newcombe König König 500 5 3 Ret 1 2 4 Ret 3 4 633 ITA Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta MV500 Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 1 1 2 1 Ret 574 CH Werner Giger TZ350 Ret 6 2 5 6 Ret Ret 5 7 3 445 AUS Jack Findlay Suzuki TR500 10 Ret Ret 1 Ret 5 3 5 Ret Ret Ret 38 6 CH Bruno Kneubühler TZ350 Ret 9 Ret Ret 3 Ret 3 2 34 7 FIN Jarno Saarinen Yamaha NV YZR500 1 1 Ret 308 JPN Hideo Kanaya Yamaha NV YZR500 3 2 Ret 229 RFA Ernst Hiller König König 500 19 Ret 3 Ret 7 6 19 UK Alex George Hermetite Ltd TZ350 Ret 9 4 6 11 14 Ret Ret 7 19 UK Billie Nelson TZ350 9 8 5 Ret 8 10 Ret 7 10 Ret 19 12 FRA Christian Bourgeois TZ350 Ret 3 Ret Ret 6 9 Ret 17 FRA Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki-France H1R-RW 7 Ret 9 Ret 4 Ret 8 Ret 1714 ITA Guido Mandracci TR500 6 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 1515 UK Peter Williams Tom Arter Matchless G50 2 15 UK Steve Ellis TZ350 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 14 SWE Bo Granath Husqvarna 12 7 Ret Ret 14 8 Ret 13 6 13 18 RFA Paul Eickelberg König König 500 Ret Ret Ret 14 Ret 6 Ret 5 Ret 1019 ITA Gianfranco Bonera TZ350 3 Ret Ret 10 FIN Seppo Kangasniemi TZ350 22 4 13 9 12 1021 DEN Børge Nielsen TZ350DSQ Ret Ret 4 10 9 RFA Georg Pohlmann TZ350 4 10 9 23 FRA Christian Léon Kawasaki-France H1R-RW 4 8 NED Wil Hartog TZ350 4 8 UK Chas Mortimer TZ350 Ret 15 Ret 11 4 8 NED Marcel Ankoné TZ350 9 5 8 27 ITA Roberto Gallina TZ350 Ret 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 UK Michel Rougerie Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson RR500 Ret Ret 5 6 UK Roger Nichols TWS-Suzuki TR500 5 6 30 RFA Reinhard Hiller König König 500 Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 5 GBR Dave Hughes Tom Arter Matchless G50 6 5 CZE Bohumil Staša TZ350 6 Ret 533 ITA Mario Lega TZ350 7 Ret 4 CH Gyula Marsovszky TZ350 Ret Ret 7 Ret 13 Ret Ret 4 UK Donnie Robinson Crooks-Suzuki TR500 7 4 RFA Peter Stocksiefen TR500 7 4 UK Derek Chatterton TZ350 Ret 7 4 NED Peter van der Wal TZ350 8 10 Ret 4 SWE Sven Gunnarsson H1R-RW 15 11 10 Ret 15 Ret 8 Ret Ret 440 FRA Jean-François Baldé TZ350 8 3 UK Derek Lee TR500 18 13 8 16 3 SWE Ivan Carlsson TZ350 Ret Ret Ret 8 3 RFA Udo Kochanski König König 500 8 3 UK John Taylor Seeley TR500 8 345 RFA Ted Jansen König König 500 9 Ret 2 UK Selwyn Griffiths Ray Cowles Motorcycles Matchless G50 9 2 FRA Jean Paul Boinet H1R-RW 9 2 RFA Lothar John TR500 Ret 15 12 9 Ret 249 UK Graham Bailey H1R-RW 10 1 SWE Bo Brolin TR500 10 1 AUT Hans Maxwald Rotax 11 10 Ret Ret Ret 1 NED Jerome Van Halter TR500 10 18 1 - UK Charlie Sanby TR500 3 - Place Rider Team Machine FRAFRA AUTAUT GERGER NACITA MANGBR YUGYUG HOL NED BEL BEL CZECZE SWESWE FINFIN ESPESP PtsSources:http://www.f1network.net/main/s180/st90473.htm 500cc Grand Prix entry lists for 1972 to 1975 f1network.net 13 March 2026 Notes: The 1973 500cc Nations Grand Prix was cancelled after the deaths of Saarinen and Pasolini in the 350 race. The major factory teams refused to participate in the Yugoslavian Grand Prix in a dispute over safety conditions at the Opatija Circuit. Charlie Sanby scored a third-place result at the 1973 Isle of Man Senior TT but is excluded from the FIM championship final standings, because he only held a domestic racing license rather than a full international Grand Prix license. 1973 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Italy Giacomo Agostini1 Italy MV Agusta 3508442 Finland Teuvo Länsivuori7 Finland Yamaha TZ3507733 UK Phil Read5 United Kingdom MV Agusta 3505604 Australia John Dodds Australia Yamaha TZ3504905 UK Billie Nelson United Kingdom Yamaha TZ3503806 Sweden Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha TZ3503807 Brazil Adu Celso-Santos Brazil Yamaha TZ3503318 West Germany Dieter Braun8 West Germany Yamaha TZ3503309 Hungary János Drapál Hungary Yamaha TZ35030210 Finland Pentti Korhonen Finland Yamaha TZ350250 1973 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 West Germany Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha TZ2508042 Finland Teuvo Länsivuori5 Finland Yamaha TZ2506423 Australia John Dodds6 Australia Yamaha TZ2505814 Finland Jarno Saarinen1 Finland Yamaha TZ2504535 France Michel Rougerie France Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson RR2504506 UK Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha TZ2504007 Japan Hideo Kanaya11 Japan Yamaha TZ2503608 Italy Roberto Gallina Italy Yamaha TZ2503209 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Yamaha TZ25028010 Italy Silvio Grassetti4 Italy Yamaha TZ250210 1973 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Sweden Kent Andersson2 Sweden Yamaha TA1259952 UK Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha TA1257513 Netherlands Jos Schurgers9 Netherlands Bridgestone7014 Sweden Börje Jansson4 Sweden Maico6415 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Maico5916 Italy Otello Buscherini Italy Malanca5127 Spain 1945 Angel Nieto Spain Morbidelli4608 West Germany Rolf Minhoff4 West Germany Maico4209 Finland Matti Salonen Finland Yamaha TA12532010 Finland Pentti Salonen Finland Yamaha TA125280 1973 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Netherlands Jan de Vries2 Netherlands Kreidler6052 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Kreidler5113 Netherlands Theo Timmer3 Netherlands Jamathi4714 West Germany Gerhard Thurow West Germany Kreidler3605 Netherlands Henk van Kessel Netherlands Kreidler2706 West Germany Herbert Rittberger West Germany Kreidler2207 Switzerland Ulrich Graf Switzerland Kreidler2108 Netherlands Jan Huberts8 Netherlands Kreidler2109 West Germany Rudolf Kunz9 West Germany Kreidler14010 West Germany Wolfgang Gedlich West Germany Kreidler130 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/1973/NAT/500cc/World+Standing 2010-07-06 2012-09-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20120920044405/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1973/NAT/500cc/World+Standing dead Category:Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons