Motorcycle world championship

Giacomo Agostini , world motorcycle champion with 15 titles.

The motorcycle world championship generally refers to the world championship for road motorcycles first announced by the world association FIM in 1949 . World championship titles are awarded in several classes, which are defined by displacement, number of cylinders, mode of operation and weight.

There are also world championships for motocross , enduro and speedway .

history

For many years races were held in the displacement classes 50 cm³ or 80 cm³, 125 cm³, 250 cm³, 350 cm³ and 500 cm³ for the solo machines and 500 cm³ for the sidecar . In the 1950s, English and Italian brands with four-stroke engines dominated . The southern German brand NSU was also able to achieve world championship titles. From 1957 to 1973 MZ was the leading German brand in international motorcycle racing with two-stroke machines in the 125 cm³, 250 cm³, and 350 cm³ displacement classes. However, the MZ racing team was excluded from participation in world championship races in NATO countries due to the Federal Republic of Germany's claim to sole representation in the 1960s for political reasons. That is why it was not possible for even the best drivers to reach a brand world championship on MZ.

At the beginning of the 1970s, the two-stroke machines, mostly of Japanese origin, also replaced the four-stroke machines from Europe that had dominated until then, even in the premier class up to 500 cm³. In 1974 Giacomo Agostini switched from the Italian brand MV Agusta to Yamaha after 13 consecutive world championship titles in the 350 and 500 cc series, winning the first 500 world championship title for the two-stroke machines, which completely replaced the four-stroke machines in the following decades. Nevertheless, the 15-time World Champion Giacomo Agostini came in 1976 when still a victory on the four-stroke MV Agusta, on the challenging drive Nordschleife of the Nürburgring .

From 1949 to 1976, the Tourist Trophy , on the Isle of Man , was part of the Motorcycle Road World Championship. The course was u. a. Removed from the program after Giacomo Agostini decided never to ride the dangerous route again. He did that because Gilberto Parlotti had a fatal accident in the race of the class up to 125 cm³ in the 1972 World Cup season, while he was in the lead. Between 1977 and 1989, the Formula TT was held in three cubic capacity classes as the official world championship under the umbrella of the FIM in order to compensate for the withdrawal of the World Cup status of the Tourist Trophy and at the same time to make races with near-series machines more popular.

In 1984 the 50 "shot glass" class was replaced by the 80 cm³ class; the 350 class was deleted without replacement from 1983 . This means that the German Toni Mang from Inning am Ammersee , who also won several 250 titles, remains the eternal world champion in this class. The classic start with pushing the motorcycles was replaced at the end of the 1980s by a standing start with the engines running.

In 1990 the 80s and 1997 also the sidecar racing machines were removed from the world championship program, so that until 2001 the world championship was only held in the displacement classes 125 cm³, 250 cm³ and 500 cm³. The manufacturers were increasingly bothered by the fact that they had to further develop the two-stroke engines, which were no longer up-to-date for environmental reasons, for the world championship races in order to remain competitive, while large motorcycles for the road had long been exclusively equipped with four-stroke engines. An attempt by Hondas to establish a competitive four-stroke engine with the NR500 at the end of the 1970s failed.

MotoGP class logo

Since 1988 the Superbike World Championship had been established in parallel , where production-based motorcycles were driven almost as fast as the even more powerful and lighter 500cc Grand Prix machines. For the 2002 season , pressure from Japanese manufacturers, especially Honda , replaced the 500cc class with MotoGP . A new set of rules allowed or required four-stroke engines with a maximum of 990 cm³. This regulation was adjusted again from the 2007 season and the maximum permissible displacement was limited to 800 cm³. Similar to Formula 1 , these MotoGP machines have to be prototypes specially developed for races , which are not derived from series machines because they are different from the superbikes. The Italian Valentino Rossi dominated the first four years of MotoGP .

From the 2010 season , the 250 cc class, in which two- and four-stroke engines up to 250 cc were permitted, was replaced by the Moto2 class, in which four-stroke machines with initially a maximum of 600 and from 2019 a maximum of 765 cc. For the 2012 season , the Moto3 class with its 250 cc four-stroke engines replaced the 125 cc class. In addition, the maximum permissible displacement of the MotoGP class has been increased to 1000 cm³.

Regulations

The world champion will be the driver or manufacturer who has accumulated the most points in the world championship by the end of the season. When distributing points, the placements are taken into account in the overall result of the respective race. The top fifteen drivers in each race receive points according to the following scheme:

Distribution of points
space	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th
Points	25th	20th	16	13	11	10	9	8th	7th	6th	5	4th	3	2	1

All the results achieved were included in the evaluation.

The complete regulations of the Motorcycle World Championship are available on the FIM website.

Records

Most successful drivers

• see list of the motorcycle world championship riders with the most Grand Prix victories

Most successful manufacturers (solo Grand Prix victories)

(Status: French Grand Prix 2017)

This article or section needs to be revised. More details should be found on the Moto2. What about KTM? be specified. Please help to improve it , and then remove this flag.

	Manufacturer	Grand Prix victories	MotoGP	500 cc	350 cc	Moto3	250 cc	125 cc	80 cc	50 cc
1.	Honda	730	125	156	35	30th	207	164		13
2.	Yamaha	500	105	120	63		165	47
3.	Aprilia	294					143	151
4th	MV Agusta	275		139	76		26th	34
5.	Suzuki	156	2	89				35		30th
6th	Derbi	107					1	64	25th	17th
7th	Kawasaki	85		2	28		45	10
8th.	Kreidler	71								71
9.	Gilera	59		35	4th		12	8th
10.	Garelli	51						44		7th

Unique

• To this day, John Surtees is the only driver who has won the world championship title in the classes up to 350 cm³, up to 500 cm³ in the motorcycle world championship and in Formula 1 ( 1964 ). Only three other motorcycle world champions drove in Formula 1: Nello Pagani , Mike Hailwood and Johnny Cecotto .
• Valentino Rossi is the only motorcycle racer who has won world titles in four different classes (125 cm³, 250 cm³, 500 cm³ and MotoGP)
• Loris Capirossi is the second motorcycle racer to win the world title in his first season, 1990 . Before him, Johnny Cecotto won the 350cc class title in 1975.
• Emilio Alzamora is the first motorcycle racer to win the world title in the 125 cc class without winning a single race in the relevant season ( 1999 ). Manuel Herreros achieved the last 80 cm³ title in 1989, also without Grand Prix victories. George O'Dell was sidecar world champion in 1977, but he never won a Grand Prix.
• Rupert Hollaus is the only posthumous world champion so far . In 1954 he had a fatal accident on NSU as the established world champion of the 125 cc class during training for the Nations' Grand Prix in Monza .
• Luigi Taveri is the only motorcycle racing driver who was able to achieve points in all classes of his active racing career (50 cm³, 125 cm³, 250 cm³, 350 cm³, 500 cm³ and sidecar).
• In 1985 , Freddie Spencer was the only driver so far to win the world championship title in the 250 cc class and the 500 cc class in one year.
• The MotoGP class race at the 2017 Spanish Grand Prix in Jerez was the 3,000th round in the history of the world championship.

Women in GP sports

• Inge Stoll (Germany) is the first woman to score points in GP sport. From 1952 to 1957 she took part in the sidecar races of the motorcycle world championship as a passenger in a Norton team. It achieved the following places: 1952: 5; 1953: 3; 1954: 7; 1955: 4; 1956: 11; 1957: 9; on August 24, 1958, she had a fatal accident in a race in Brno.
• Gina Bovaird is the only female motorcycle racer to start in the 500 cc class. This was at the French Grand Prix in 1982.
• Katja Poensgen (Germany) is the only female motorcycle racer to score points in the 250 cm³ class. She started in the 2001 and 2003 seasons and finished fourteenth at the 2001 Italian Grand Prix in Mugello .
• Taru Rinne (Finland) collected a total of 25 points in the 125 cm³ class (1988 and 1989). She was second fastest in training for the 1989 German Grand Prix.
• Tomoko Igata (Japan) collected a total of 30 points in the 125 cm³ class (1994 and 1995).

Tracks on which World Championship races take place / took place

country	route	city	Period
Argentina	Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez	Buenos Aires	1961–1963, 1981, 1982, 1987, 1994, 1995, 1998, 1999
	Autódromo Termas de Río Hondo	Termas de Río Hondo	since 2014
Australia	Eastern Creek Raceway	Sydney	1991-1996
	Phillip Island Circuit	Phillip Island	1989, 1990, since 1997
Belgium	Circuit Zolder	Zolder	1980
	Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps	spa	1949-1990
Brazil	Autódromo Internacional Ayrton Senna	Goiânia	1987-1989
	Autódromo José Carlos Pace	São Paulo	1992
	Autódromo Internacional Nelson Piquet	Rio de Janeiro	1995-1997, 1999-2004
People's Republic of China	Shanghai International Circuit	Shanghai	2005-2008
Germany	Hockenheimring	Hockenheim	1957, 1959, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981–1983, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1991–1994
	Nürburgring ( Nordschleife )	Nürburg	1955, 1958, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980
	Nürburgring ( Südschleife )	Nürburg	1965, 1968
	Nürburgring (Grand Prix course)	Nürburg	1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, 1995-1997
	Schottenring	Bulkheads	1953
	Solitude	Stuttgart solitude	1952, 1954, 1956, 1960, 1962, 1964
GDR / Germany	Sachsenring	Hohenstein-Ernstthal	1961–1972, since 1998
Finland	Imatra	Imatra	1964-1982
	Pyynikki	Tampere	1962, 1963
France	Circuit des Planques	Albi	1951
	Circuit de Charade	Clermont-Ferrand	1959-1967, 1972, 1974
	Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours	Magny-Cours	1992
	Circuit de Reims-Gueux	Reims	1954, 1955
	Circuit Paul Armagnac	Nogaro	1978, 1982
	Circuit Paul Ricard	Le Castellet	1973, 1975, 1977, 1980-1981, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1996-1999
	Circuit Bugatti	Le Mans	1969–1970, 1976, 1979, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1989–1990, 1994–1995, since 2000
	Rouen-les-Essarts	Rouen	1953, 1954, 1965
Great Britain	Donington Park Circuit	Castle Donington	1987-2009
	Silverstone Circuit	Silverstone	1977–1986, since 2010
Qatar	Losail International Circuit	Doha	since 2004
Indonesia	Sentul International Circuit	Citeureup	1996-1997
Isle of Man	Snaefell Mountain Course	Douglas	1949-1976
	Clypse Course		1954-1959
Italy	Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari	Imola	1969, 1972, 1974, 1975, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1988, 1989, 1996–1999
	Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello	Mugello	1976, 1978, 1982, 1984, 1985, since 1991
	Autodromo Nazionale Monza	Monza	1949–1968, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1983, 1986, 1987
	Autodromo di Santamonica / Misano World Circuit / Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli	Misano Adriatico	1980, 1982, 1984–1987, 1989–1991, 1993, since 2007
Japan	Fuji Speedway	Oyama	1966, 1967
	Suzuka International Racing Course	Suzuka	1963-1965, 1987-1998, 2000-2003
	Twin Ring Motegi	Motegi	since 1999
Yugoslavia	Preluk	Opatija	1969, 1970, 1972-1977
	Automotodrom Grobnik	Rijeka	1978-1990
Canada	Mosport International Raceway	Bowmanville	1967
Malaysia	Shah Alam Circuit	Shah Alam	1991-1997
	Johor Circuit	Pasir Gudang	1998
	Sepang International Circuit	Sepang	since 1999
Netherlands	TT Circuit Assen	Aces	since 1949
Northern Ireland	Clady Circuit	Clady	1949-1952
	Dundrod Circuit	Dundrod	1952-1971
Austria	A1-Ring / Red Bull Ring	Spielberg	1996, 1997, since 2016
	Salzburgring	Salzburg	1971-1979, 1981-1991, 1993, 1994
Portugal	Circuito do Estoril	Estoril	2000-2012
Sweden	Hedemora TT Circuit	Hedemora	1958
	Karlskoga Motor Stadium	Karlskoga	1978, 1979
	Råbelövsbanan	Kristianstad	1959, 1961
	Scandinavian Raceway	Anderstorp	1971-1977, 1981-1990
Switzerland	Bremgarten	Bern	1949, 1951-1954
	Circuit des Nations	Geneva	1950
Spain	Circuit de Catalunya / Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya	Barcelona	since 1991
	Circuit Ricardo Tormo	Valencia	since 1999
	Circuito de Jerez	Jerez de la Frontera	since 1987
	Circuito del Jarama	San Sebastian de los Reyes	1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977–1988, 1991, 1993, 1998
	Circuit de Montjuïc	Barcelona	1950–1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976
	Motorland Aragón	Alcañiz	since 2010
South Africa	Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit	Johannesburg	1983-1985, 1992
	Phakisa Freeway	Welkom	1999-2004
Czech Republic	Brno Automotodrome	Brno	Since 1993
Czechoslovakia	Masaryk ring	Brno	1965-1982
	Brno Automotodrome	Brno	1987-1991
Turkey	Istanbul Park Circuit	Istanbul	2005-2007
Hungary	Hungaroring	Budapest	1990, 1992
United States	Circuit of The Americas	Austin	from 2013
	Daytona International Speedway	Daytona Beach	1964, 1965
	Indianapolis Motor Speedway	Speedway	since 2008
	Laguna Seca Raceway	Monterey	1988-1991, 1993, 1994, 2005-2013
Venezuela	San Carlos	San Carlos	1977-1979

References

See also

• Motorcycling

Web links

Commons : Motorcycle World Championship  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• FIM (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme) (English / French)
• Official website of the Motorcycle World Championship (multilingual)
• German site on various racing classes

Individual evidence

1. ^ Regulations of the Motorcycle World Championship ( Memento from January 31, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 524 kB)
2. ↑ Jerez celebrates the 3000th Grand Prix race. In: motogp.com. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 5, 2017 .