1970 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Sports season 1970 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 1969 1971 thumb|300px|Phil Read (8) finished second at the 1970 Dutch TT 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. This is the most recent season before 2024 that the Japanese manufacturers failed to score a single win in the premier class. Season summary The MV Agusta team continued to dominate as Giacomo Agostini won his fifth consecutive 500cc world championship against minimal opposition from other manufacturers.Dennis Noyes 1999 Michael Scott Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix Hazleton Publishing Ltd 1-874557-83-7 From 1968 to 1970, Agostini and MV Agusta were so dominant that Agostini won every single race he contested in the 350cc and 500cc classes.https://www.topgear.com/car-news/motorsport/classic-motorsport-moment-agostinis-ridiculous-winning-streak Classic motorsport moment: Agostini’s ridiculous winning streak topgear.com 2 December 2025 However, Japanese manufacturers continued to improve two-stroke engine technology. In 1970, Kawasaki began to sell the Kawasaki H1R to privateer racing teams.Alan Cathcart 2019 Eric Offenstadt's Monocoque Triple Classic Racer Mortons Motorcycle Media Group Ltd 1470-4463 https://www.classicracer.com 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 The H1R was the first multi-cylinder two stroke racing motorcycle to be sold commercially. Ginger Molloy rode one of the Kawasakis to a second-place finish behind Agostini in the 500cc championship. Life was harder 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. Gould would take the 250 title for Yamaha, battling Carruthers for the entire season. 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. Braun's victory at the 1970 Isle of Man TT was notable because he was one of only seven riders to have won an Isle of Man TT race in their first attempt.Guy Procter 2015 Bitesize Classic Bike Bauer Consumer Media Ltd 0142-890X Due to the circuit's 37.7 mile length, it usually takes competitors two or three attempts before they learn its nuances. 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.http://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/worlds-fastest-death-cult-the-most-dangerous-race-on-the-planet/news-story/e1a4b17cc4e577ba79737a64da501dbc World's fastest way to die: The most dangerous race on the planet news.com.au 20 February 2017 http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/679077/Two-deaths-Isle-of-Man-TT-Festival-five-toll Two more deaths take Isle of Man TT Festival toll to five express.co.uk 20 February 2017 1970 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report 1 3 May FRG West German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife ESP 1945 Angel Nieto AUS John Dodds AUS Kel Carruthers ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Auerbacher / Hahn Report 2 17 May FRA French Grand Prix Le Mans Bugatti ESP 1945 Angel Nieto FRG Dieter Braun GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Kalauch Report 3 24 May Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Circuit ESP 1945 Angel Nieto FRG Dieter Braun ESP 1945 Santiago Herrero ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 4 12 June IOM Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain FRG Dieter Braun AUS Kel Carruthers ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Kalauch Report 5 27 June NLD Dutch TT Assen ESP 1945 Angel Nieto FRG Dieter Braun GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Auerbacher / Hahn Report 6 5 July BEL Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps NLD Aalt Toersen ESP 1945 Angel Nieto GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Butscher / Huber Report 7 12 July DDR East German Grand Prix Sachsenring NLD Aalt Toersen ESP 1945 Angel Nieto GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 8 19 July TCH Czechoslovak Grand Prix Masaryk Circuit NLD Aalt Toersen ITA Gilberto Parlotti AUS Kel Carruthers ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 9 2 August FIN Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Circuit GBR Dave Simmonds GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 10 15 August NIR Ulster Grand Prix Dundrod Circuit ESP 1945 Angel Nieto AUS Kel Carruthers ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini DEU Enders / Engelhardt Report 11 13 September ITA Nations Grand Prix Monza NLD Jan de Vries ESP 1945 Angel Nieto GBR Rodney Gould ITA Giacomo Agostini ITA Giacomo Agostini Report 12 27 September ESP 1945 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich ESP 1945 Salvador Cañellas ESP 1945 Angel Nieto SWE Kent Andersson ITA Angelo Bergamonti ITA Angelo Bergamonti Report Final standings Scoring system 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 500cc final standings Pos Rider Machine GERDEU FRAFRA YUGYUG MANIOM HOLNLD BELBEL DDRDDR FINFIN ULSNIR NACITA ESPESP 1945 Pts 1 ITA Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 90 2 NZL Ginger Molloy Bultaco / Kawasaki 5 2 7 4 16 15 2 2 6 2 62 3 ITA Angelo Bergamonti Aermacchi / MV Agusta 4 2 2 2 1 59 4 NIR Tommy Robb Seeley 3 11 Ret 10 3 10 5 Ret 4 36 5 ITA Alberto Pagani Linto 3 Ret 3 Ret Ret 3 Ret Ret 30 6 GBR Alan Barnett Seeley-Matchless 2 7 Ret 4 Ret 24 7 FRA Christian Ravel Kawasaki 8 Ret 2 5 Ret Ret Ret 8 24 8 AUS Jack Findlay Seeley-Matchless / Seeley-Suzuki Ret Ret 4 4 Ret Ret 12 Ret 4 Ret Ret 24 9 FIN Martti Pesonen Yamaha 7 5 Ret Ret 8 8 7 7 24 10 GBR Peter Williams Matchless 2 7 5 22 11 ITA Roberto Gallina Paton 3 Ret 7 5 20 12 GBR Martin Carney Kawasaki Ret Ret 3 6 6 20 13 CHE Gyula Marsovszky Linto / Kawasaki 11 6 8 9 Ret Ret Ret 4 Ret 18 14 FRA Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki Ret 9 13 7 4 Ret 14 15 AUS John Dodds Linto Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret 12 16 ITA Silvano Bertarelli Kawasaki Ret 3 10 = GBR Bill Smith Kawasaki / Yamaha 3 Ret 10 = GBR Percy Tait Triumph / Seeley-Matchless Ret 3 10 19 ITA Giuseppe Mandolini Moto Guzzi 3 10 20 GBR Dave Simmonds Kawasaki Ret 12 6 12 12 8 Ret 9 10 21 DEU Karl Hoppe Münch-URS / Seeley-URS 4 16 Ret Ret 8 22 AUT Karl Auer Matchless Ret 4 Ret 8 23 ITA Gianpiero Zubani Kawasaki 9 5 8 = GBR John Williams Matchless 5 9 8 25 GBR Godfrey Nash Norton / Manx Ret Ret Ret 11 9 6 7 26 GBR Billie Nelson Paton 9 Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret Ret 7 27 DEU Ernst Hiller Kawasaki 8 Ret 7 Ret 7 28 GBR Lewis Young Honda / Matchless Ret Ret 11 Ret 5 Ret Ret 6 29 NIR Brian Steenson Seeley-Matchless 15 5 Ret 6 30 GBR Paul Smart Seeley-Matchless Ret 5 Ret Ret 6 31 AUS Terry Dennehy Honda 10 Ret Ret 13 6 Ret Ret Ret 6 32 GBR Tony Jefferies Matchless 6 Ret 5 = CHE Walter Rungg Aermacchi 6 Ret Ret 5 34 NLD Rob Bron Suzuki 6 5 35 GBR Steve Ellis Linto / Matchless Ret Ret 14 10 Ret 7 5 36 GBR Ron Chandler Seeley-Matchless / Triumph Ret 8 9 Ret 5 37 GBR Selwyn Griffiths Matchless 7 4 38 NIR Gerry Mateer Norton Ret 8 3 39 GBR Brian Adams Norton 8 3 = ITA Giovanni Perrone Kawasaki 8 3 41 GBR Vincent Duckett Seeley-Matchless 9 13 2 42 DEU Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW Ret Ret 9 2 43 ITA Paolo Campanelli Kawasaki Ret 9 2 44 CHE Jean Campiche Honda Ret 10 14 10 Ret 2 45 RHO Gordon Keith Velocette Ret 21 Ret 10 1 46 FRA André-Luc Appietto Paton 10 1 = GBR Charlie Dobson Seeley-Matchless 10 1 = ITA Vasco Loro Norton-Kawasaki 10 1 = GBR Steve Spencer Norton 10 1 Pos Rider Bike GERDEU FRAFRA YUGYUG MANGBR HOLNLD BELBEL DDRDDR FINFIN ULSUlster NACITA ESPESP PtsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap 1970 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 ITA Giacomo Agostini1 Italy MV Agusta9092 AUS Kel Carruthers7 Australia Benelli5803 ITA Renzo Pasolini Italy Benelli4604 SWE Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha4405 FIN Martti Pesonen Finland Yamaha3806 GBR Rodney Gould United Kingdom Yamaha2807 ITA Angelo Bergamonti Italy MV Agusta2718 DDR Günter Bartusch East Germany MZ2009 GBR Alan Barnett United Kingdom Aermacchi20010 GBR Tommy Robb United Kingdom Yamaha180 1970 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 GBR Rodney Gould6 United Kingdom Yamaha10262 AUS Kel Carruthers Australia Yamaha8443 SWE Kent Andersson2 Sweden Yamaha6714 FIN Jarno Saarinen Finland Yamaha5705 SWE Börje Jansson5 Sweden Yamaha3406 GBR Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha3007 CHE Gyula Marsovsky Switzerland Yamaha2808 ESP 1945 Santiago Herrero3 Spain Ossa2719 SWE Bo Granath Sweden Yamaha25010 ITA Silvio Grassetti Italy Yamaha240 1970 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 FRG Dieter Braun2 West Germany Suzuki8442 ESP 1945 Angel Nieto Spain Derbi7243 SWE Börje Jansson Sweden Maico6204 GBR Dave Simmonds1 United Kingdom Kawasaki5715 HUN László Szabó8 Hungary MZ3406 FRG Toni Gruber West Germany Maico3307 NLD Aalt Toersen Netherlands Suzuki3108 AUS John Dodds Australia Aermacchi2419 DDR Gunter Bartusch East Germany MZ22010 AUT Heinz Kriwanek Austria Rotax250 1970 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 ESP 1945 Angel Nieto1 Spain Derbi8752 NLD Aalt Toersen2 Netherlands Jamathi7533 FRG Rudolf Kunz8 West Germany Kreidler6604 ESP 1945 Salvador Cañellas Spain Derbi6315 NLD Jan De Vries4 Netherlands Kreidler6016 NLD Jos Schurgers Netherlands Kreidler4107 NLD Martin Mijwaart10 Netherlands Jamathi4008 FRG Ludwig Fassbender9 West Germany Kreidler1709 ITA Gilberto Parlotti6 Italy Tomos15110 AUT Harald Bartol Austria Kreidler110 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/1970/NAT/500cc/World+Standing 2010-07-06 2012-09-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20120918192621/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1970/NAT/500cc/World+Standing dead Category:Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons Grand Prix motorcycle racing season