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. 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. 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.
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. 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. 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 Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Angel Nieto Walter Villa Carlos Lavado Barry Sheene Report2 April 29 Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report3 May 6 German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Gerhard Waibel Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Jon Ekerold Wil Hartog Report4 May 13 Nations Grand Prix Imola Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Gregg Hansford Kenny Roberts Report5 May 20 Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report6 June 10 Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Graziano Rossi Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report7 June 23 Dutch TT Assen Eugenio Lazzarini Angel Nieto Graziano Rossi Gregg Hansford Virginio Ferrari Report8 July 1 Belgian Grand PrixTop riders went on strike at the Belgian Grand Prix over track safety. Spa-Francorchamps Henk van Kessel Barry Smith Edi Stoellinger Dennis Ireland Report9 July 22 Swedish Grand Prix Karlskoga Pier Paolo Bianchi Graziano Rossi Barry Sheene Report10 July 29 Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Ricardo Tormo Kork Ballington Gregg Hansford Boet van Dulmen Report11 August 12 British Grand Prix Silverstone Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report12 August 19 Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Guy Bertin Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Report13 September 2 French Grand Prix Le Mans Eugenio Lazzarini Guy Bertin Kork Ballington Patrick Fernandez Barry Sheene ReportSources:
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 VEN AUT GER NAT ESP YUG NED BEL SWE FIN GBR FRA Points1 Kenny Roberts Yamaha USA YZR500 1 2 1 1 1 8 DNS 4 6 1 31132 Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 2 2 3 2 4 2 1 DNS Ret 15 4 Ret893 Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 1 12 Ret 4 Ret Ret 2 DNS 1 3 2 1874 Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 Ret 3 1 Ret 2 4 3 DNS Ret 10 3 18665 Franco Uncini Team Zago International RG500 4 6 6 Ret 5 3 6 DNS Ret Ret 7 4516 Boet van Dulmen IMN Yamaha YZR500 Ret Ret Ret 6 5 4 DNS 3 1 5 Ret507 Jack Middelburg Racing Westland Suzuki RG500 15 7 7 7 Ret 7 DNS 2 4 DNS428 Philippe Coulon Frankonia Suzuki RG500 Ret 5 8 8 Ret 5 DNS Ret 8 8 629 Randy Mamola Team Zago International RG500 13 DNS 6 2 Ret 22910 Tom Herron Heron-Suzuki RG500 3 4 Ret 3 DNS28 11 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 7 8 Ret 7 9 DNS 9 5 626 12 Steve Parrish Heron-Suzuki RG500 Ret 7 9 11 11 9 10 DNS 5 11 Ret 71913 Dennis Ireland Derry's Racing RG500 10 18 11 Ret 17 15 1 Ret Ret Ret Ret17 Mike Baldwin Team Zago International RG500 14 10 5 317 14 Michel Rougerie Ecurie Ste Pernod RG500 5 9 6 DNS 816 15 Bernard Fau Suzuki-France RG500 11 4 6 Ret Ret 13 17 Kenny Blake YZR500 2 DNQ 12 RG500 Ret 18 Marco Lucchinelli RG500 9 Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret DNS 7 9 9 Ret1119 Johnny Cecotto Venemotos-Yamaha YZR500 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS Ret 7 Ret 510 Gary Lingham RG500 3 Ret DNQ10 21 Gustav Reiner Dieter Braun Racing RG500 20 Ret Ret DNQ 4 Ret Ret Ret822 Hiroyuki Kawasaki Heron-Suzuki RG500 5 Ret DNS Ret6 Henk De Vries Team 77 RG500 13 13 Ret 5 18 126 Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing RG500 8 Ret 14 14 17 8 14 Ret 16625 Roberto Pietri Venemotos Yamaha RG500 6 Ret 155 Josef Hage Dieter Braun Racing RG500 6527 Jacky Matagne RG500 74 Max Wiener RG500 8 10 DNQ Ret 16 Ret429 Ikujiro Takai Yamaha International YZR500 Ret 14 DNS 8 Ret Ret3 Carlo Perugini RG500 Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 11 Ret331 Sergio Pellandini RG500 9 Ret2 Guy Cooremans RG500 92 Graziano Rossi Morbidelli Morbidelli 500-4 Ret 9 Ret Ret 12 DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret2 John Woodley RG500 9235 Peter Sjöström Ava MC Stockholm RG500 17 DNS DNQ Ret 14 Ret Ret 13 13 101 Seppo Rossi Kouv MK RG500 22 15 Ret 12 Ret DNS 10 Ret Ret 111 Gianni Pelletier RG500 Ret Ret 10 12 15 DNS Ret Ret1 Mick Grant RG500 Ret 10 Ret 1 Honda-HRC NR500 Ret DNQ Dieter Heinen RG500 101 John Newbold Team Appleby Glade RG500 101Sources:
350cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Kork Ballington1 South Africa Kawasaki9952 Patrick Fernandez France Yamaha9013 Gregg Hansford3 Australia Kawasaki7734 Anton Mang16 West Germany Kawasaki6405 Michel Frutschi Switzerland Yamaha4706 Michel Rougerie6 France Yamaha4707 Roland Freymond27 Switzerland Yamaha4008 Jon Ekerold4 South Africa Yamaha3419 Sadao Asami Japan Yamaha27010 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 Kork Ballington1 South Africa Kawasaki14172 Gregg Hansford2 Australia Kawasaki8103 Graziano Rossi Italy Morbidelli6734 Randy Mamola United States Yamaha6405 Patrick Fernandez3 France Yamaha6306 Anton Mang5 West Germany Kawasaki5607 Walter Villa16 Italy Yamaha3918 Jean-François Baldé13 France Kawasaki2909 Edi Stoellinger Austria Kawasaki28110 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 Angel Nieto2 Spain Minarelli12082 Maurizio Massimiani6 Italy MBA5303 Hans Müller7 Switzerland MBA5004 Thierry Espié5 France Motobécane4805 Gert Bender West Germany GB Bender4706 Guy Bertin France Motobécane4027 Ricardo Tormo8 Spain Bultaco3918 Harald Bartol4 Austria Morbidelli3609 Bruno Kneubühler Switzerland MBA36010 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 Eugenio Lazzarini2 Italy Kreidler7552 Rolf Blatter5 Switzerland Kreidler6203 Patrick Plisson3 France ABF3204 Gerhard Waibel West Germany Kreidler3115 Peter Looijensteijn8 Netherlands Kreidler3006 Hagen Klein17 West Germany Kreidler2607 Henk van Kessel12 Netherlands Sparta2318 Jacques Hutteau France Kreidler2709 Ingo Emmerich West Germany Kreidler8010 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.