The 1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 5–7 August 1988 at Donington Park.
500 cc race report The front row: Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson, Christian Sarron, Niall Mackenzie and Wayne Rainey.
Rainey and Mackenzie get a good launch, and through the first turn it's Rainey and he's opening a gap the field. Rainey is using carbon fiber brakes for the first time, which had only been tested and not raced on.
Kevin Schwantz is in around 8th place and tries to pass two or three riders simultaneously at the chicane, but crashes into Ron Haslam and causes a bottleneck. Haslam struggles to get out of the gravel and back into the race, and Schwantz is out with a broken kneecap. Marco Papa highsides out of the race.
Finishing the first lap it's Rainey, then a gap to Gardner, Sarron, and Mackenzie. Randy Mamola and Norihiko Fujiwara come together at the hairpin, but stay up.
Rainey is maintaining a gap, and Gardner makes a mistake at the chicane and lets Sarron and Mackenzie through, but he's soon back to 2nd. Mamola is sliding the rear and waving to the crowd.
On the last lap, McElnea highsides coming out of the chicane.
Rainey wins his first premier-class GP.
500 cc classification Pos. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points 1 Wayne Rainey Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha 49:33.670 20 2 Wayne Gardner Rothmans Honda Team Honda +6.970 17 3 Christian Sarron Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 Yamaha +8.780 15 4 Niall Mackenzie Team HRC Honda +11.840 13 5 Kevin Magee Team Lucky Strike Roberts Yamaha +36.750 11 6 Eddie Lawson Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha +40.970 10 7 Didier de Radiguès Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini Yamaha +51.360 9 8 Pierfrancesco Chili HB Honda Gallina Team Honda +51.810 8 9 Roger Burnett Racing Team Katayama Honda +52.390 7 10 Tadahiko Taira Tech 21 Yamaha +1:21.840 6 11 Randy Mamola Cagiva Corse Cagiva +1:32.450 5 12 Norihiko Fujiwara Lucky Strike Yamaha Yamaha +1 Lap 4 13 Mike Baldwin Racing Team Katayama Honda +1 Lap 3 14 Ron Haslam Team ROC Elf Honda Elf Honda +1 Lap 2 15 Fabio Biliotti Team Amoranto Honda +1 Lap 1 16 Patrick Igoa Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 Yamaha +1 Lap 17 Eddie Laycock Millar Racing Honda +1 Lap 18 Fabio Barchitta Racing Team Katayama Honda +1 Lap 19 Daniel Amatriain Ducados Lotus Guarz Honda +1 Lap 20 Marco Gentile Fior Marlboro Fior +1 Lap 21 Dave Leach Suzuki +1 Lap 22 Maarten Duyzers HDJ International Honda +1 Lap 23 Simon Buckmaster Honda +1 Lap 24 Kees van der Endt Autobedrijf Koens Honda +1 Lap 25 Nicholas Schmassman FMS Honda +1 Lap Ret Andreas Leuthe Suzuki Retirement Ret Rachel Nicotte PVI Racing Honda Retirement Ret Darren Dixon Suzuki Retirement Ret Bruno Kneubühler Romer Racing Suisse Honda Retirement Ret Rob McElnea Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki Retirement Ret Wolfgang von Muralt Suzuki Retirement Ret Raymond Roche Cagiva Corse Cagiva Retirement Ret Steve Spray Suzuki Retirement Ret Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Pepsi Cola Suzuki Retirement DNS Alessandro Valesi Team Iberia Honda Did not start DNS Marco Papa Team Greco Honda Did not start DNQ Steve Manley Gateford Motors Suzuki Did not qualify DNQ Ian Pratt Suzuki Did not qualify DNQ Johan Ten Napel Suzuki Did not qualify DNQ Claus Wulff Honda Did not qualify DNQ Rene Zanatta Paton Did not qualify Sources:
References