1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Sports season Grand Prix motorcycle racing F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 1979 1979 World Champions500cc – Kenny Roberts (Yamaha)350cc - Kork Ballington (Kawasaki)250cc – Kork Ballington (Kawasaki)125cc – Ángel Nieto (Minarelli)50cc – Eugenio Lazzarini (Kreidler) thumb|Kenny Roberts (pictured in Assen) became the 1979 500cc world champion The 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Season summary A season of changing fortunes in the 500cc class saw American, Kenny Roberts capture his second crown in the face of the Suzuki-mounted opposition.Dennis Noyes 1999 Michael Scott Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix Hazleton Publishing Ltd 1-874557-83-7 In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini won every race in which he finished to take the championship. Angel Nieto dominated on a Minarelli to take his seventh world championship. Kork Ballington would repeat as double world champion in the 250cc and 350cc classes for Kawasaki. Defending champion Roberts was injured in a pre-season test but came back to win round two in impressive fashion.Roberts Ruptures Spleen In Crash United Press International The Hour 26 16 February 1979 15 December 2010 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LecgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FW4FAAAAIBAJ&pg=6287,3303308&dq=kenny+roberts&hl=en His rivals also suffered from bad luck. Hartog breaking his arm in practice, Cecotto badly breaking his kneecap in Austria and Sheene suffering from mechanical failures. The 1979 British Grand Prix would be remembered as one of the greatest races of the modern era with Roberts beating Sheene to the finish line by three-hundredths of a second.https://www.motogp.com/en/news/2019/08/21/an-all-time-classic-sheene-vs-roberts-40-years-on/155420 Silverstone 1979 – a Roberts-Sheene classic motogp.com 28 February 2026 After an eleven-year absence from world championship racing, Honda returned to competition with the exotic, four-stroke NR500 ridden by riders Mick Grant and Takazumi Katayama at the British Grand Prix.http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1979grandprix/text/08.html The NR500s: A Humiliating Debut world.honda.com 23 October 2012 The motorcycle featured an engine with oval-shaped cylinders as well as a monocoque chassis. Both bikes retired from the race, Grant crashing out on the first turn after the bike spilled oil onto his rear tire. Katayama retired on the seventh lap due to ignition problems. The top riders boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix over safety issues showing their increasing dissatisfaction with the way the FIM conducted races.Roberts Suspended For Boycott Modesto Bee Modesto Bee 1 2 July 1979 15 December 2010 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y_8iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AcwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1305,1794539&dq=kenny+roberts&hl=en https://archive.today/20130103015402/http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Y_8iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=AcwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1305,1794539&dq=kenny+roberts&hl=en dead January 3, 2013 After several safety issues, the top riders banded together near the end of the year to announce that they would create a competing championship called the World Series. Although the series never got off the ground, the riders had flexed their political muscles and it forced the FIM to change the way they dealt with races and the riders themselves. The FIM announced an increase in prize money for the following year. This would mark the beginning of an era of increased professionalism in the sport. 1979 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report1 March 18 Venezuela 1930 Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Spain Angel Nieto Italy Walter Villa Venezuela 1930 Carlos Lavado UK Barry Sheene Report2 April 29 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Spain Angel Nieto South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report3 May 6 Germany German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Germany Gerhard Waibel Spain Angel Nieto South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington South Africa 1928 Jon Ekerold Netherlands Wil Hartog Report4 May 13 Italy Nations Grand Prix Imola Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Spain Angel Nieto South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington Australia Gregg Hansford United States Kenny Roberts Report5 May 20 Spain Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Spain Angel Nieto South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report6 June 10 Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Spain Angel Nieto Italy Graziano Rossi South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report7 June 23 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Italy Eugenio Lazzarini Spain Angel Nieto Italy Graziano Rossi Australia Gregg Hansford Italy Virginio Ferrari Report8 July 1 Belgium Belgian Grand PrixTop riders went on strike at the Belgian Grand Prix over track safety. Spa-Francorchamps Netherlands Henk van Kessel Australia Barry Smith Austria Edi Stoellinger New Zealand Dennis Ireland Report9 July 22 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Karlskoga Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi Italy Graziano Rossi UK Barry Sheene Report10 July 29 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Spain Ricardo Tormo South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington Australia Gregg Hansford Netherlands Boet van Dulmen Report11 August 12 UK British Grand Prix Silverstone Spain Angel Nieto South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington United States Kenny Roberts Report12 August 19 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno France Guy Bertin South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington Report13 September 2 France French Grand Prix Le Mans Italy Eugenio Lazzarini France Guy Bertin South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington France Patrick Fernandez UK Barry Sheene ReportSources:https://www.motogp.com/en/world-standing/1979/500cc/championship-standings 1979 500cc World Championship race results motogp.com 28 February 2026https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1979-world-motorcycle-championship/ 1979 500cc World Championship race results motorsportmagazine.com 28 February 2026 Final standings Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. All races counted towards the final standings. (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 VENVEN AUTAUT GERRFA NATITA ESPESP YUGYUG NEDNED BELBEL SWESWE FINFIN GBRUK FRAFRA Points1 USA Kenny Roberts Yamaha USA YZR500 1 2 1 1 1 8 DNS 4 6 1 31132 ITA Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 2 2 3 2 4 2 1 DNS Ret 15 4 Ret893 UK Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 1 12 Ret 4 Ret Ret 2 DNS 1 3 2 1874 NED Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 Ret 3 1 Ret 2 4 3 DNS Ret 10 3 18665 ITA Franco Uncini Team Zago International RG500 4 6 6 Ret 5 3 6 DNS Ret Ret 7 4516 NED Boet van Dulmen IMN Yamaha YZR500 Ret Ret Ret 6 5 4 DNS 3 1 5 Ret507 NED Jack Middelburg Racing Westland Suzuki RG500 15 7 7 7 Ret 7 DNS 2 4 DNS428 CH Philippe Coulon Frankonia Suzuki RG500 Ret 5 8 8 Ret 5 DNS Ret 8 8 629 USA Randy Mamola Team Zago International RG500 13 DNS 6 2 Ret 22910 UK Tom Herron Heron-Suzuki RG500 3 4 Ret 3 DNS28 11 FRA Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 7 8 Ret 7 9 DNS 9 5 626 12 UK Steve Parrish Heron-Suzuki RG500 Ret 7 9 11 11 9 10 DNS 5 11 Ret 71913 NZ Dennis Ireland Derry's Racing RG500 10 18 11 Ret 17 15 1 Ret Ret Ret Ret17 USA Mike Baldwin Team Zago International RG500 14 10 5 317 14 FRA Michel Rougerie Ecurie Ste Pernod RG500 5 9 6 DNS 816 15 FRA Bernard Fau Suzuki-France RG500 11 4 6 Ret Ret 13 17 AUS Kenny Blake YZR500 2 DNQ 12 RG500 Ret 18 ITA Marco Lucchinelli RG500 9 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNS 7 9 9 Ret1119 VEN Johnny Cecotto Venemotos-Yamaha YZR500 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 7 Ret 510 UK Gary Lingham RG500 3 Ret DNQ10 21 FRG Gustav Reiner Dieter Braun Racing RG500 20 Ret Ret DNQ 4 Ret Ret Ret822 JPN Hiroyuki Kawasaki Heron-Suzuki RG500 5 Ret DNS Ret6 NED Henk De Vries Team 77 RG500 13 13 Ret 5 18 126 FRG Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing RG500 8 Ret 14 14 17 8 14 Ret 16625 VEN Roberto Pietri Venemotos Yamaha RG500 6 Ret 155 FRG Josef Hage Dieter Braun Racing RG500 6527 BEL Jacky Matagne RG500 74 AUT Max Wiener RG500 8 10 DNQ Ret 16 Ret429 JPN Ikujiro Takai Yamaha International YZR500 Ret 14 DNS 8 Ret Ret3 ITA Carlo Perugini RG500 Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 11 Ret331 SUI Sergio Pellandini RG500 9 Ret2 BEL Guy Cooremans RG500 92 ITA Graziano Rossi Morbidelli Morbidelli 500-4 Ret 9 Ret Ret 12 DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret2 UK John Woodley RG500 9235 SWE Peter Sjöström Ava MC Stockholm RG500 17 DNS DNQ Ret 14 Ret Ret 13 13 101 FIN Seppo Rossi Kouv MK RG500 22 15 Ret 12 Ret DNS 10 Ret Ret 111 ITA Gianni Pelletier RG500 Ret Ret 10 12 15 DNS Ret Ret1 UK Mick Grant RG500 Ret 10 Ret 1 Honda-HRC NR500 Ret DNQ BEL Dieter Heinen RG500 101 UK John Newbold Team Appleby Glade RG500 101Sources: 350cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington1 South Africa Kawasaki9952 France Patrick Fernandez France Yamaha9013 Australia Gregg Hansford3 Australia Kawasaki7734 West Germany Anton Mang16 West Germany Kawasaki6405 Switzerland Michel Frutschi Switzerland Yamaha4706 France Michel Rougerie6 France Yamaha4707 Switzerland Roland Freymond27 Switzerland Yamaha4008 South Africa 1928 Jon Ekerold4 South Africa Yamaha3419 Japan Sadao Asami Japan Yamaha27010 Australia Jeff Sayle Australia Yamaha24011 Pekka Nurmi 2312 Penti Korhonen 1713 Christian Estrosi 1614 Carlos Lavado 1515 Patrick Pons 1216 Eric Saul 1017 Michel Rougerie 1018 Richard Hubin 919 Herve Guilleux 820 Olivier Chevallier 821 Victor Soussan 822 Graeme McGregor 523 M.Sayle 524 E.Elias 425 B.Elgh 426 Paolo Pileri 427 Edi Stoellinger 428 Reinhold Roth 329 Tony Head 330 K.Hernamdt 331 Victor Palomo 332 Eero Hyvärinen 333 Alan North 334 A.Faccioli 235 Joey Dunlop 236 Y.Matsumoto 237 Gianfranco Bonera 238 Max Wiener 1 250cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 South Africa 1928 Kork Ballington1 South Africa Kawasaki14172 Australia Gregg Hansford2 Australia Kawasaki8103 Italy Graziano Rossi Italy Morbidelli6734 United States Randy Mamola United States Yamaha6405 France Patrick Fernandez3 France Yamaha6306 West Germany Anton Mang5 West Germany Kawasaki5607 Italy Walter Villa16 Italy Yamaha3918 France Jean-François Baldé13 France Kawasaki2909 Austria Edi Stoellinger Austria Kawasaki28110 Switzerland Roland Freymond22 Switzerland Yamaha220 11Olivier Chevallier 22 12Christian Estrosi 19 13Chas Mortimer 14 14Paolo Pileri 14 15Graeme McGregor 14 16Barry Ditchburn 13 17Victor Soussan 11 18Eric Saul 11 19M.Sayle 10 20Fernando Gonzales de N. 9 21Penti Korhonen 9 22Jon Ekerold 8 23Richard Hubin 7 24Guy Bertin 6 25Michel Simeon 5 26Jeffrey Sayle 4 27Hans Müller 4 28Massimo Matteoni 3 29Maurizio Massimiani 3 30Pekka Nurmi 3 31J.Lazo 3 32B.Elgh 2 33Y.Matsumoto 2 34Eero Hyvärinen 1 35Tony Head 1 36Sadao Asami 1 37Thierry Espié 1 38Alan North 1 39Rinus Van Kasteren 1 125cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Spain Angel Nieto2 Spain Minarelli12082 Italy Maurizio Massimiani6 Italy MBA5303 Switzerland Hans Müller7 Switzerland MBA5004 France Thierry Espié5 France Motobécane4805 West Germany Gert Bender West Germany GB Bender4706 France Guy Bertin France Motobécane4027 Spain Ricardo Tormo8 Spain Bultaco3918 Austria Harald Bartol4 Austria Morbidelli3609 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland MBA36010 Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi3 Italy Minarelli35111 Stefan Dorflinger 3512 Barry Smith 13 Walter Koschine 2514 August Auinger 2515 Eugenio Lazzarini 2216 Jean Louis Guignabodet 2017 Matti Kinnunen 1918 Patrick Herouard 1819 Marcelino Garcia 1720 Thierry Noblesse 1621 Per Edvard Carlsson 1422 Jean Francois Lecureux 1223 Patrick Plisson 1224 Martin Van Soest 1025 Gianpaolo Marchetti 1026 Rolf Blatter 827 Peter Looijesteijn 828 Clive Horton 729 Francois Granon 730 Stefan Janssen 731 Ivan Troisi 532 Paul Bordes 533 Pierluigi Conforti 434 Anton Straver 435 Peter Balaz 336 Jean Paul Magnoni 237 Alfred Waibel 238 Stefano Ferretti 239 Henk van Kessel 240 Jan Huberts 241 Marc Antoine Constantin 242 Miguel Cortes 143 Fernando Gonzales de N. 144 Renè Renier 145 Johnny Wickstroem 1 50cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini2 Italy Kreidler7552 Switzerland Rolf Blatter5 Switzerland Kreidler6203 France Patrick Plisson3 France ABF3204 West Germany Gerhard Waibel West Germany Kreidler3115 Netherlands Peter Looijensteijn8 Netherlands Kreidler3006 West Germany Hagen Klein17 West Germany Kreidler2607 Netherlands Henk van Kessel12 Netherlands Sparta2318 France Jacques Hutteau France Kreidler2709 West Germany Ingo Emmerich West Germany Kreidler8010 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Kreidler6011 Rainer Scheidhauer 1712 Theo Timmer 1613 Aldo Pero 1614 Rudolf Kunz 1315 E.Saffioti 1016 Wolfgang Müller 917 Ricardo Tormo 618 Enrico Cereda 519 Joaquim Gali 520 Daniel Mateos 421 M.Servadio 422 Graham Singer 423 P.Verbic 324 Theo Van Geffen 325 R.Oosting 226 Claudio Granata 227 Hans Hummel 228 Cees Van Dongen 129 D.Priori 130 Gerrit Strikker 1 Notes References Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. 2-940125-32-5 Barry Coleman (1979) Motocourse 1979-80 Hazleton Publishing 978-0905138107 The Official MotoGP website http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1979/NAT/500cc/World+Standing 2010-07-06 2012-09-20 https://web.archive.org/web/20120920044728/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1979/NAT/500cc/World+Standing dead Category:Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons Grand Prix motorcycle racing season