1976 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

Sports season Grand Prix motorcycle racing F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season Grand Prix motorcycle racing season 1976 1976 World Champions500cc – Barry Sheene (Suzuki)350cc - Walter Villa (Aermacchi Harley-Davidson)250cc – Walter Villa (Aermacchi Harley-Davidson)125cc – Pier Paolo Bianchi (Morbidelli)50cc – Ángel Nieto (Bultaco) The 1976 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 28th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season. Season summary Suzuki rider Barry Sheene won the first 500 Class World Championship of his career in a dominating manner by winning five of the first seven races to clinch the title with three rounds remaining.Dennis Noyes 1999 Michael Scott Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix Hazleton Publishing Ltd 1-874557-83-7 First introduced in 1974, the Suzuki RG 500 had been developed and refined by Sheene and the Suzuki team to become the class standard by 1976. Such was Suzuki's domination of the 500 class that their motorcycles occupied 11 of the first 12 places in the final points classifications. Sheene's victory also marked the first 500 Class World Championship for the Suzuki factory team. 1976 marked the end of an era as it would be the last time the Isle of Man TT would appear on the Grand Prix calendar. Once the most prestigious race of the year, the event had been increasingly boycotted by the top World Championship competitors and finally succumbed to pressure for increased safety in racing events. Safety continued to be a focal point in the increasingly bitter debate between competitors and race organizers in the wake of the deaths of Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini in 1973. The World Championship competitors still had to contend with treacherous street circuits on the Grand Prix calendar, such as Imatra, Brno, Montjuïc and Opatija, which all featured immovable roadside obstacles, including trees, telephone poles and curbs. Participants The Suzuki factory announced that their race team would withdraw from the World Championships after the 1975 season in order to concentrate their funding on development of the company's first range of four-stroke production motorcycles.Mat Oxley 2026 Sheene's First Title Classic Bike H Bauer Publishing Ltd 0142-890X The factory began to produce customer versions of the Suzuki RG 500 in 1976 and planned to allow privateer teams to compete in the World Championships in their stead. However, Suzuki's British importer intervened and convinced the Suzuki factory to allow the importer to represent Suzuki in the World Championships.https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/motorcycles/motogp/sheene-conquers-world-40-years-ago-today/ Sheene conquers the world – 40 years ago today motorsportmagazine.com 14 December 2023https://www.cyclenews.com/2026/03/article/barry-sheens-1977-world-championship-winning-suzuki-rg500-is-for-sale/ Barry Sheene’s 1977 World-Championship-Winning Suzuki RG500 is For Sale cyclenews.com 10 October 2026 The British Suzuki team, named Heron-Suzuki after their principle sponsor, Heron International, consisted of riders Barry Sheene, John Newbold and John Williams.https://amcn.com.au/editorial/5467/ Racing Legend Barry Sheene 17 September 2026 amcn.com.au 2023-12-17 The Suzuki factory allocated three RG 500 motorcycles for the British team in 1976, ostensibly one motorcycle for each of their riders however, Sheene appropriated all three motorcycles for himself, which created animosity between him and his teammates as they had to compete with the team's 1975 RG 500s. Sheene's crash at the 1975 Daytona 200 and his subsequent recovery received extensive media coverage and made him a household name in Britain.https://vault.si.com/vault/1978/06/19/making-a-bloody-good-go-of-it-barry-sheene-feels-grotty-and-is-facing-tough-new-challengers-but-the-cocky-cockney-cyclist-keeps-the-throttle-wide-open-in-defense-of-his-title https://web.archive.org/web/20231212210945/https://vault.si.com/vault/1978/06/19/making-a-bloody-good-go-of-it-barry-sheene-feels-grotty-and-is-facing-tough-new-challengers-but-the-cocky-cockney-cyclist-keeps-the-throttle-wide-open-in-defense-of-his-title dead 12 December 2023 Sports Illustrated June 1978 Making A Bloody Good Go Of It. Clive Gammon 16 October 2026https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2003/mar/10/motorcycling1 The Guardian Barry Sheene 13 October 2026 His charming Cockney persona made him popular with the British public and helped boost the appeal of motorcycle racing into the realm of the mass media.https://www.bbc.com/sport/motogp/23844625 Barry Sheene: Motorcycling's first superstar remembered Gary Rose 30 August 2013 BBC Sport 27 February 2014https://magazine.cycleworld.com/article/1976/6/1/high-flyin-barry-sheene High Flyin' Barry Sheene Scalzo, Joe 1976 Cycle World 16 October 2026https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1424245/Barry-Sheene.html Barry Sheene The Telegraph 11 March 2003 He was the first motorcycle racer to gain commercial endorsements from outside the sport, including television advertisements for Brut cologne. Sheene's popularity helped attract renewed interest to Grand Prix motorcycle racing which had stagnated under the dominance of the MV Agusta team.http://www.superbikeplanet.com/2004/May/040525a.htm The Best Ever--Super Seventies superbikeplanet.com 15 December 2010 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20101221033204/http://superbikeplanet.com/2004/May/040525a.htm 21 December 2010 Yamaha also withdrew from the World Championships as sales of recreational vehicles decreased significantly in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, which caused them to reduce their competition budget.https://amcn.com.au/editorial/giacomo-agostini/ Unsurpassed GOAT - Giacomo Agostini amcn.com.au 17 September 2026 Yamaha's departure left fifteen-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini without a team so, he formed his own with the financial backing of the Marlboro cigarette company. Johnny Cecotto, the 1975 350cc World Champion, had been offered a place on the Suzuki factory team but, chose to remain loyal to his Venezuelan Yamaha satellite team, Venemotos. The Venemotos team competed in the 500 Class with Cecotto riding Agostini's 1975 Yamaha YZR500. The last remaining manufacturer to compete with four-stroke machinery, the MV Agusta factory racing team withdrew from the World Championships following the 1975 season. The team had struggled to remain competitive as advancements in two-stroke engine technology by Japanese manufacturers were becoming evident. Once the dominant manufacturer with a streak of 17 consecutive 500 Class World Championships, the company's focus had turned to the aviation industry following the death of Count Domenico Agusta in February 1971.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 17 September 2026 Cameron Kevin April 25, 2023 The Count's passion for motorcycle racing had been the driving force behind the MV Agusta team, and without his presence, the racing team's importance within the company withered. Although the team no longer competed in the World Championships, they made their 1975 MV Agusta motorcycles available for use by Agostini's new Marlboro-backed team. MV Agusta's departure left their rider Phil Read without a team for the 1976 season, so he chose to compete as a privateer using a Suzuki RG 500. The customer version of the RG 500 was immediately competitive and became the motorcycle of choice for privateer racers that also included; Teuvo Länsivuori and newcomers Marco Lucchinelli and Pat Hennen.Stuart Barker 2019 Sheene and the Suzuki RG500 Classic Racer Mortons Media Group Ltd 1470-4463 https://amcn.com.au/editorial/rg-bargy-suzuki-rg500/# SUZUKI RG500: RG BARGY 14 June 2020 amcn.com 17 September 2026 500 Class championship With Sheene fully recovered from his injuries suffered at the 1975 Daytona 200, he set the tone for the season with a victory at the season-opening French Grand Prix.https://www.motogp.com/en/gp-results/1976/fra/500cc/rac/classification 1976 French Grand Prix results MotoGP.com 17 September 2026 Johnny Cecotto finished second in France but then claimed that his Yamaha was too slow and refused to ride it, choosing to concentrate on defending his 350cc World Championship. Gallina-Suzuki privateer Marco Lucchinelli made an immediate impact in his first full season as a third place in France marked the first podium result of his career.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/marco-lucchinelli/a3cef8b7-d874-454c-b7be-08a6f0c9bada?tab=overview Marco Lucchinelli career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 thumb|right|240px|Sheene in action during the 1976 Dutch TT race. Sheene won again in Round 2 in Austria while Lucchinelli improved to second place with Read coming in third place.https://www.motogp.com/en/gp-results/1976/fra/500cc/rac/classification 1976 French Grand Prix results MotoGP.com 17 September 2026 Agostini had begun the season riding an MV Agusta however, after the dominance of the Suzuki RG 500 became apparent, he purchased one of the Suzuki motorcycles for himself.https://classictwowheels.com.au/racings-greats-giacomo-agostini/ Racing Greats: Giacomo Agostini classictwowheels.com.au 17 September 2026 At Round 3 in Italy, Sheene fought a dramatic race-long battle with Read at the Nations Grand Prix where he won by 0.1 seconds for his third consecutive victory.https://www.motogp.com/en/gp-results/1976/nat/500cc/rac/classification 1976 Nations Grand Prix results MotoGP.com 17 September 2026 Marco Lucchinelli was injured during practice for the Nations Grand Prix forcing him to miss the next four races. The Gallina-Suzuki team replaced Lucchinelli with Virginio Ferrari who scored an impressive third place in his World Championship debut at the Nations Grand Prix.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/virginio-ferrari/3bda862f-99d6-4720-8f6a-e321ff750a85?tab=overview Virginio Ferrari career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 The Fourth round of the championship marked the final time that the Isle of Man TT was part of the World Championship as most of the championship contenders continued to boycott the event over safety concerns. John Williams led the Senior TT by over one minute when his Suzuki broke down one mile from the finish line, allowing Tom Herron (Yamaha) to take the victory.https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=TT76&race_seq=6 1976 Isle of Man Senior TT Classifications iomtt.com 17 September 2026 Williams pushed his motorcycle across the finish line in seventh place. Takazumi Katayama (Yamaha) was one of the few World Championship contenders to defy convention and compete in the TT. In his first appearance at the difficult-to-master Isle of Man TT Mountain Course, Katayama scored an impressive fourth place in the 500cc Senior TT along with a second place in the 250cc Lightweight TT and a ninth-place in the 350cc Junior TT.https://www.iomtt.com/tt-database/events/races?meet_code=ALL&ride_id=3148 Takazumi Katayama Isle of Man TT career statistics iomtt.com 23 September 2026 After the 1976 season, the Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status and the British round of the championship was transferred to the Silverstone Circuit on the British mainland for the 1977 season. Sheene continued to show his dominance by winning the Dutch TT race with a 45 second lead.https://www.motogp.com/en/gp-results/1976/ned/500cc/rac/classification 1976 Dutch TT results MotoGP.com 17 September 2026 Pat Hennen scored the first podium result of his career with a second-place finish in the Netherlands riding for the Coleman-Suzuki team.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/pat-hennen/413c1c7e-8787-4375-a978-9e412cd7fd11?tab=overview Pat Hennen career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 Read held second place in the points standings entering Round 6 of the championship in Belgium where he qualified in second position behind Sheene, but then abruptly disbanded his team and withdrew from the World Championships without having competed in Belgium. The 37-year-old Read cited a lack of funding for the withdrawal. Although he no longer competed in the World Championships, he continued to compete in domestic British racing. Sheene experienced engine problems in Belgium which relegated him to second place behind his Suzuki teammate John Williams. Williams' victory in Belgium marked the only Grand Prix win of his career.Philip Wain 2019 John Williams: Part 2 Classic Racer Mortons Media Group Ltd 1470-4463 https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/john-williams/a6082793-f906-429a-ab9e-a5b01c025d31?tab=overview John Williams career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 Sheene rebounded to win the Swedish Grand Prix, clinching the World Championship with three rounds remaining. As the FIM only recognized each competitor's top 6 results, Sheene had a near perfect score with five victories along with a second-place result. Having secured the championship, Sheene then chose not to compete in the final three rounds as he disliked riding the dangerous circuits remaining on the schedule. thumb|Giacomo Agostini on the 350cc MV Agusta during practice for the 1976 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring. Sheene's absence allowed Hennen to score an upset victory over Länsivuori and Agostini at the Finnish Grand Prix, becoming the first American competitor to win a 500 cc World Championship Grand Prix race.http://hof.motorcyclemuseum.org/halloffame/detail.aspx?RacerID=388 Pat Hennen at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame motorcyclemuseum.org 16 September 2026 Suzuki's Teuvo Länsivuori was leading the Czechoslovak Grand Prix but ran out of fuel, allowing John Newbold to win the only world championship race of his career.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/john-newbold/6deae392-bfc9-4496-909b-c87d58866a57?tab=overview John Newbold career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 The final race of the season was the German Grand Prix held at the daunting, 14.2 mi km long Nürburgring racetrack, considered too dangerous for the Formula One championship. In rainy conditions, Agostini reverted to the MV Agusta to take advantage of its smoother power delivery and won the race by over one minute ahead of Lucchinelli and Hennen. The victory marked final Grand Prix win for himself and for MV Agusta. It also marked the final victory for a four-stroke motorcycle until the advent of the MotoGP class in 2002. Sheene claimed the title with 72 points, far outpacing the 48 points by second-placed Länsivuori. Hennen finished his first season in World Championship competition with an impressive third-place result only two points behind Länsivuori. Marco Lucchinelli placed fourth despite missing several rounds due to injuries. Agostini's victory at the final round in Germany on the MV Agusta boosted him to seventh place in the final classifications, making him the only non-Suzuki mounted competitor in the final top ten. Production versions of the Suzuki RG 500 became a mainstay of 500cc Grand Prix racing until the early 1980s. thumb|Walter Villa in action during the 1976 250cc German Grand Prix Smaller classes Walter Villa won double World Championships in the 250cc and 350cc classes to become only the third competitor to accomplish the feat after Jim Redman (1962, 1963) and Mike Hailwood (1966, 1967). In the 350 Class, Villa and the Harley-Davidson-Aermacchi team broke Yamaha's dominance of the class by defeating a field of competitors composed almost entirely of Yamaha TZ350 riders.https://www.mcnews.com.au/aermacchi-250-gp-racer-a-two-stroke-harley-gp-machine/ Aermacchi 250 GP Racer; A two-stroke Harley GP machine! mcnews.com 21 September 2026https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-motorcycle-touring/racing-harley-zmgz19mazhur/ Harley by Any Name is Still a Harley motorcycleclassics.com 21 September 2026 Johnny Cecotto held a 15-point lead at mid-season with victories in Austria and Italy. Giacomo Agostini won the 350cc Dutch TT riding his MV 350 for the final 350 victory of his career.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/giacomo-agostini/a31b9149-6b76-4adb-a677-8bbe0e9383ab?tab=overview Giacomo Agostini career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 It also marked the last 350 class victory for MV Agusta and for four-stroke engines. Villa finished the season strongly with three victories in the final four races to overtake Cecotto and claim his first 350cc World Championship. Villa and Harley-Davidson-Aermacchi dominated the 250 Class with seven victories in 11 races to become the first competitor to win three consecutive 250cc World Championships.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/walter-villa/7bd22323-23cd-41ab-ae17-e226b52d2014?tab=overview Walter Villa career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 Takazumi Katayama (Yamaha) finished second with a victory in Sweden along with four second place results.https://www.motogp.com/en/riders/takazumi-katayama/7013ee13-73db-4652-9516-a07ee39008ee?tab=overview Takazumi Katayama career statistics motogp.com 17 September 2026 Otello Buscherini and Paolo Tordi died while competing in the 250cc Nations Grand Prix at the Mugello Circuit.http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ms&n=1448 Otello Buscherini at Motorsport Memorial motorsportmemorial.org 2026-09-17 Angel Nieto won five races to take his fifth world title in the 50cc division, this time aboard a Bultaco. In the 125cc class, it was more of the same with Morbidelli taking another crown with Pier Paolo Bianchi claiming the championship. 1976 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report1 April 25 FRA 1974 French Grand Prix Bugatti Circuit West Germany Herbert Rittberger ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Walter Villa UK Barry Sheene Report2 May 2 Austria Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi VEN 1930 Johnny Cecotto UK Barry Sheene Report3 May 16 ITA 1946 Nations Grand Prix Mugello ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi ITA 1946 Walter Villa VEN 1930 Johnny Cecotto UK Barry Sheene Report4May 23 Yugoslavia Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Switzerland Ulrich Graf ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi FRG Dieter Braun FRA 1974 Olivier Chevallier Report5 June 12 UK Isle of Man TT Isle of Man UK Tom Herron UK Chas Mortimer UK Tom Herron Report6 June 26 Netherlands Dutch TT Assen ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Giacomo Agostini UK Barry Sheene Report7 July 4 Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps FRG Herbert Rittberger ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA 1946 Walter Villa UK John Williams Report8 July 25 Sweden Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi JPN 1947 Takazumi Katayama UK Barry Sheene Report9 August 1 Finland Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Walter Villa United States Pat Hennen Report10 August 22 Czechoslovakia Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Walter Villa UK John Newbold Report11 August 29 FRG German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife ESP 1945 Angel Nieto FRG Anton Mang ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Walter Villa ITA 1946 Giacomo Agostini Report12 September 19 ESP 1945 Spanish Grand Prix Montjuich ESP 1945 Angel Nieto ITA 1946 Pier Paolo Bianchi ITA 1946 Franco Bonera RSA 1928 Kork Ballington ReportSources:https://www.motogp.com/en/world-standing/1976/500cc/championship-standings 1976 500cc World Championship race results motogp.com 3 March 2026https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/championships/1976-world-motorcycle-championship/ 1976 500cc World Championship race results motorsportmagazine.com 3 March 2026 Participants 500cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds Team Agostini-Marlboro MV Agusta/Suzuki ???/??? 1 ITA Giacomo Agostini 1–3, 5–6, 8–10 Team Life International Suzuki Suzuki RG 500 29 GBR Phil Read 1–3 Life Racing Team 423 FIN Teuvo Länsivuori 1–3, 6–9* Danfay Yamaha ??? 4 IRL Billie Guthrie 4 Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki ??? 5230 GBR John Williams 1–2, 4–6 Suzuki RG 500 7 GBR Barry Sheene 1–3, 5–7 8367 GBR John Newbold 6–10 ??? 14 GBR Tom Herron 2, 4 Hermetite Various 683 GBR Alex George 2, 5 Meuaui Racing Team Suzuki 1065 AUS Jack Findlay 2–8 Team Sarome Yamaha/Suzuki ???/??? 11810 GBR Chas Mortimer 1, 4, 6–7, 9–10 Yamaha ??? 4117 JPN Takazumi Katayama 4, 6, 8 ??? 128911 AUT Karl Auer 1–2, 7–9 Boeri Dainese Racing Team Suzuki 1314301012 BRD Dieter Braun 1–3, 6, 8 Esso Yamaha 19182529 FRA Olivier Chevallier 9 Ecurie Elf Suzuki 2120 FRA Michel Rougerie 1–2, 6 ??? Yamaha 221316 FRA Bernard Fau 5 Castrol/Jim Findlay Yamaha TZ??? 23151921 GBR Tom Herron 6–7 Beale ??? 23 GBR Roger Nichols 4 ??? Suzuki 24522148 FRA Christian Estrosi 8 Yamaha 25 GBR Ian Richards 4 26413124 DEN Børge Nielsen 3 Suzuki 2733284312 NED Marcel Ankoné 3, 6, 10 Gallina Corse Suzuki RG 500 28402631 ITA Virginio Ferrari 3, 10 334034323017 ITA Marco Lucchinelli 1–2, 7–10 ??? 34 ITA Roberto Gallina ??? Riemersma Suzuki RG 500 343148 NED Wil Hartog 2, 5, 7 Padgett Yamaha ??? 3826 RSA 1928 Jon Ekerold 4 Frankonia Suzuki Suzuki 4038184351222371 CHE Philippe Coulon 3, 7–9 ??? 4139194463 BRD Helmut Kassner 5–6 Swaep Motor-Racing Yamaha 43332420 SPA 1945 Víctor Palomo 1–2, 7 Laponder Yamaha/Suzuki ???/??? 51433227391429 NED Boet van Dulmen 8–10 Colemans Suzuki ??? 54452540282266 USA Pat Hennen 1–3, 5–10 564732354225 NZL Stuart Avant 1–3, 7 Team Venemotos Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 (OW29) 5532116 VEN 1956 Johnny Cecotto 1–3 ??? ??? 57284427 AUT Max Wiener 9 Source:https://www.f1network.net/main/s180/st92666.htm 500cc Grand Prix entry lists for 1976 to 1978 f1network.net 13 March 2026Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider Final standings Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. The three best results from the first four rounds plus the three best results from the remaining rounds were counted on 50cc, 125cc and Sidecars championships, while in the 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, the three best results from the first five rounds plus the three best results from the remaining rounds were counted. (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 NATITA GBRUK NEDNED BELBEL SWESWE FINFIN CZECZE GERRFA Points1 UK Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 1 1 1 1 2 1 722 FIN Teuvo Länsivuori Team Life International RG500 4 DSQ 4 5 4 2 2483 USA Pat Hennen Coleman-Suzuki RG500 Ret Ret 5 2 8 Ret 1 Ret 3464 ITA Marco Lucchinelli Gallina Corse RG500 3 2 DNS 15 5 Ret 2405 UK John Newbold Heron-Suzuki RG500 Ret Ret 9 10 4 1 4316 CH Philippe Coulon Frankonia Suzuki RG500 Ret Ret 8 Ret Ret 6 3 3 Ret287 ITA Giacomo Agostini Team API Marlboro MV500 5 6 1 26 RG500 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret8 AUS Jack Findlay Jack Findlay Racing RG500 8 Ret Ret 5 Ret 2 7259 UK John Williams Heron-Suzuki RG500 Ret Ret 7 6 12410 UK Phil Read Team Life International RG500 Ret 3 222 11 NED Marcel Ankoné Nimag-Suzuki RG500 Ret 6 Ret 3 12 Ret Ret 521 12 NZL Stuart Avant Coleman-Suzuki RG500 7 5 7 Ret DNS 5 Ret20 13 UK Tom Herron Castrol-Jim Findlay TZ350 12 1 9 Ret17 14 UK Chas Mortimer Katayama Sarome Team YZR500 13 Ret Ret16 RG500 7 3 Ret 9 9 FRA Michel Rougerie Ecurie Elf RG500 DNS 4 Ret Ret 416 AUT Karl Auer Racing Team NO YZR500 9 9 Ret Ret Ret 8 10 4 Ret16 17 RFA Dieter Braun Boeri Dainese Racing Team RG500 8 15 9 6 Ret 6 Ret Ret 15 18 ESP Víctor Palomo Swaep Motor Racing YZR500 6 7 Ret Ret 7 Ret 1319 Venezuela 1930 Johnny Cecotto Venemotos Yamaha YZR500 2 Ret Ret DNS12 UK Ian Richards YZR500 21221 ITA Virginio Ferrari Gallina Corse RG500 3 Ret Ret Ret10 UK Billie Guthrie Danfay YZR500 310 NED Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 Ret 3 Ret1024 UK Alex George Hermetite Racing International YZR500 15 10 Ret 4 11 11 Ret Ret Ret9 NED Boet Van Dulmen Laponder Racing YZR500 10 13 Ret Ret9 RG500 13 Ret 8 6 26 JPN Takazumi Katayama Katayama Sarome Team YZR500 DNS 4 Ret Ret827 AUT Max Weiner Racing Team NO YZR500 Ret 16 11 5 126 UK Roger Nichols Beale YZR500 5 629 FRA Olivier Chevallier Esso YZR500 11 18 Ret 65 South Africa 1928 Jon Ekerold Padgett's Motorcycles YZR500 6531 FRA Bernard Fau YZR500 7 Ret 11 4 RFA Bernd Tungethal YZR500 7 Ret4 South Africa 1928 Alan North RG500 7 434 UK Gordon Pantall YZR500 83 NED Rob Bron YZR500 8 123 FRA Christian Estrosi RG500 Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret3 FRA Christian Bourgeois YZR500 83 RFA Helmut Kassner RG500 19 11 9 10 Ret Ret339 UK John Weeden YZR500 92 FIN Pekka Nurmi YZR500 9241 DEN Børge Nielsen YZR500 17 10 13 Ret Ret1 UK Bill Smith YZR500 101 UK Dave Potter RG500 101 BRA Edmar Ferreira YZR500 16 Ret Ret 101 RFA Egid Schwemmer RG500 101Sources: Notes: Länsivuori was disqualified from the Austrian Grand Prix for not stopping his engine during a refueling stop. 350cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Italy Walter Villa42 Italy Aermacchi Harley-Davidson7642 Venezuela Johnny Cecotto1 Venezuela Yamaha6523 UK Chas Mortimer6 United Kingdom Yamaha5414 UK Tom Herron9 United Kingdom Yamaha4705 Australia John Dodds56 Australia Yamaha3406 Spain Víctor Palomo Spain Yamaha2907 Japan Takazumi Katayama Japan Yamaha2808 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland Yamaha2809 France Olivier Chevallier France Yamaha27110 Italy Franco Uncini Italy Yamaha27011 Dieter Braun 2312 Kork Ballington 2013 Pentti Korhonen 1914 Patrick Pons 1815 Gianfranco Bonera 1516 Giacomo Agostini 1517 Tony Rutter 1218 Billie Guthrie 1019 Gerard Choukroun 1020 Alan North 1021 Jean-François Baldé 1022 Martin Sharpe 823 Leif Gustafsson 824 Boet Van Dulmen 625 John Weeden 526 Patrick Fernandez 527 Paolo Tordi 528 Derek Chatterton 529 Jon Ekerold 430 Neil Tuxworth 431 Philip Bouzanne 332 Karl Auer 333 Jack Findlay 334 Kjell Solberg 335 Bo Granath 236 Rudolf Kunz 237 Claudio Loigo 138 S.McClements 1 250cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Italy Walter Villa1 Italy Aermacchi Harley-Davidson9072 Japan Takazumi Katayama Japan Yamaha7313 Italy Franco Bonera Italy Aermacchi Harley-Davidson6114 UK Tom Herron United Kingdom Yamaha4715 Finland Pentti Korhonen Finland Yamaha4706 West Germany Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha4217 UK Chas Mortimer6 United Kingdom Yamaha3108 Switzerland Bruno Kneubühler9 Switzerland Yamaha2909 France Olivier Chevallier France Yamaha25010 Spain Víctor Palomo Spain Yamaha25011 John Dodds 2412 Patrick Fernandez 2113 Kork Ballington 1514 Paolo Pileri 1215 Jon Ekerold 1016 Alan North 1017 Tony Rutter 818 Jean-François Baldé 819 Eddie Roberts 620 Gerard Choukroun 621 Franco Uncini 622 Patrick Pons 623 Philip Bouzanne 624 Pekka Nurmi 525 Alex George 526 Boet van Dulmen 427 John Weeden 428 Ian Richards 329 Leif Gustafsson 330 Dennis Casement 231 Jean Claude Hogrel 232 Tapio Virtanen 233 János Drapál 232 Harald Bartol 133 Eero Hyvärinen 134 Niel Tuxworth 1 125cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Italy Pier Paolo Bianchi2 Italy Morbidelli9072 Spain Ángel Nieto Spain Bultaco6713 Italy Paolo Pileri1 Italy Morbidelli6404 Netherlands Henk van Kessel7 Netherlands Condor4605 West Germany Anton Mang West Germany Morbidelli3216 France Jean-Louis Guignabodet2 France Morbidelli2707 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini5 Italy Morbidelli2608 West Germany Gert Bender West Germany Bender2509 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger Switzerland Morbidelli23010 Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck Belgium Morbidelli18011 Xaver Tschannen 1412 Walter Koschine 1213 Cees van Dongen 1114 Otello Buscherini 1015 Leif Gustafsson 1016 Harald Bartol 917 Hans Müller 918 Horst Seel 819 Enrico Cereda 720 Pierluigi Conforti 721 Lennart Lundgren 622 Per Edward Carlsson 623 Johann Zemsauer 524 Matti Kinnunen 525 Rolf Blatter 426 Luigi Richetti 427 Hans Hummel 428 Peter Frohnmeyer 329 Ermanno Giuliano 230 Auno Hakala 231 Hans Hallberg 132 Lennart Lindell 133 Heinz Schmid 134 P.Cecchini 1 50cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Spain Ángel Nieto1 Spain Bultaco8552 West Germany Herbert Rittberger5 West Germany Kreidler7623 Switzerland Ulrich Graf Switzerland Kreidler6914 Italy Eugenio Lazzarini2 Italy Morbidelli5305 West Germany Rudolf Kunz4 West Germany Kreidler3406 Belgium Julien van Zeebroeck9 Belgium Kreidler2617 Switzerland Stefan Dörflinger6 Switzerland Kreidler2508 Switzerland Rolf Blatter Switzerland Kreidler2509 Austria Hans Hummel9 Austria Kreidler20010 France Pierre Audry France ABF15011 Aldo Pero 1312 Theo Timmer 1213 Engelbert Kip 1214 Gerrit Strikker 915 Cees van Dongen 916 Benjamin Laurent 817 Günter Schirnhofer 718 Theo Van Geffen 619 Ricardo Tormo 520 Robert Laver 521 Claudio Lusuardi 422 Yves Le Tourmelin 423 E. Mischiatti 424 B. Stopp 425 Wolfgang Müller 326 Ramon Gali 327 Ermanno Giuliano 1 See also 1976 Formula 750 season References Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. 2-940125-32-5 Chris Carter (1976) Motocourse 1976-77 Hazleton Securities 978-0905138022 The Official MotoGP website http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1976/NAT/500cc/World+Standing 2010-07-06 2012-09-18 https://web.archive.org/web/20120918192621/http://www.motogp.com/en/Results+Statistics/1976/NAT/500cc/World+Standing dead Category:Grand Prix motorcycle racing seasons Grand Prix motorcycle racing season