1956 motorcycle world championship

1956 motorcycle world championship

500 cm³ world champion
Driver:	John Surtees
Constructor:	MV Agusta
350 cm³ world champion
Driver:	Bill Lomas
Constructor:	Moto Guzzi
250 cc world champion
Driver:	Carlo Ubbiali
Constructor:	MV Agusta
125 cc world champion
Driver:	Carlo Ubbiali
Constructor:	MV Agusta
Team (500 cm³) world champions
Driver:	Wilhelm Noll Fritz Cron
Constructor:	BMW
<1955 season	1957 season>

The 1956 motorcycle world championship season was the eighth in the history of the FIM - motorcycle road world championship .

Six races were held in all classes.

Distribution of points

Scoring
space	1	2	3	4th	5	6th
Points	8th	6th	4th	3	2	1

If fewer than eight races were held, the best four results were included in the ranking; if eight or more races were staged, the five best results achieved were included in the World Championship ranking.

useful information

Deaths

• The South African Eddie Grant was killed in a race in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, France, in early August 1956.
• Derek Ennett , who came from the Isle of Man, had a fatal accident on August 9, 1956 in the 350cc race for the Ulster Grand Prix.
• The NSU works driver Hans Baltisberger from Betzingen died on August 26, 1956 from serious injuries that he had sustained shortly before in a fall in the race for the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix in Brno.
• The 14-time Dutch motorcycle champion Lo Simons had a fatal accident on September 23, 1956 in a race in Kristianstad, Sweden, after falling due to a broken connecting rod.

500 cc class

Race results

	date	run	route	1st place	place 2	place 3	Nice Race lap
1	08.06.	38th Isle of Man TT	Mountain Course	John Surtees	John Hartle	Jack Brett	John Surtees
2	30.06.	26. Dutch TT	Aces	John Surtees	Walter Zeller	Eddie Grant	John Surtees
3	08.07.	29th Belgian GP	Spa Francorchamps	John Surtees	Walter Zeller	Pierre Monneret	Geoff Duke
4th	07/22	20th German GP	Solitude	Reg Armstrong	Umberto Masetti	Pierre Monneret	Bill Lomas
5	08/11	28th Ulster GP	Dundrod	John Hartle	Bob Brown	Peter Murphy	Geoff Duke
6th	09.09.	34th Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Geoff Duke	Libero Liberati	Pierre Monneret	Geoff Duke and Libero Liberati

Driver ranking

1  John Surtees MV Agusta 24 2  Walter Zeller BMW 16 3  John Hartle Norton 14th 4th  Pierre Monneret Gilera 12 5  Reg Armstrong Gilera 11 6th  Umberto Masetti MV Agusta 9 7th  Geoff Duke Gilera 8th 8th  Bob Brown Matchless 6th  Libero Liberati Gilera 6th 10  Eddie Grant (†) Norton 6th 11  Jack Brett Norton 5 12  Peter Murphy Matchless 4th

Keith Bryen Norton 4th 14th  Gerold Klinger BMW 3  Geoff Tanner Norton 3 16  Bill Lomas Moto Guzzi 2  Paul Fahey Matchless 2  Alfredo Milani Gilera 2  Wilfred Herron Norton 2  Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta 2 21st  Derek Ennett (†) Matchless 1  Ernst Hiller BMW 1  Auguste Goffin Norton 1

Constructors' championship

1	MV Agusta	30 (32)
2	Gilera	20th
3	Norton	20 (21)
4th	BMW	18 (19)
5	Matchless	9
6th	Moto Guzzi	2

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

A DKW RM 350 , nicknamed " singing saw " as 1956 by DKW - factory team was used.

350 cm³ class

Race results

	date	run	route	1st place	place 2	place 3	Nice Race lap
1	08.06.	38th Isle of Man TT	Mountain Course	Ken Kavanagh	Derek Ennett	John Hartle	Ken Kavanagh
2	30.06.	26. Dutch TT	Aces	Bill Lomas	John Surtees	August Hobl	Bill Lomas
3	08.07.	29th Belgian GP	Spa Francorchamps	John Surtees	August Hobl	Cecil Sandford	Bill Lomas
4th	07/22	20th German GP	Solitude	Bill Lomas	August Hobl	Dickie Dale	Bill Lomas
5	08/09	28th Ulster GP	Dundrod	Bill Lomas	Dickie Dale	John Hartle	Bill Lomas
6th	09.09.	34th Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Libero Liberati	Dickie Dale	Roberto Colombo	Libero Liberati

Driver ranking

1  Bill Lomas Moto Guzzi 24 2  August Hobl DKW 17th 3  Dickie Dale Moto Guzzi 17th 4th  John Surtees MV Agusta 14th 5  Cecil Sandford DKW 13 (15) 6th  Ken Kavanagh Moto Guzzi 10 7th  Libero Liberati Gilera 8th 8th  John Hartle Norton 8th 9  Derek Ennett (†) AJS / Moto Guzzi 6th 10  Karl Hofmann DKW 6th

11  Roberto Colombo MV Agusta 4th 12  Jack Brett Norton 3 13  Hans Bartl DKW 3 14th  Eddie Grant (†) Norton 2  Umberto Masetti MV Agusta 2  Peter Murphy AJS 2 17th  Alan Trow Norton 1  Bob Matthews Norton 1  Bob Brown AJS 1

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

Constructors' championship

1	Moto Guzzi	32 (38)
2	DKW	19 (22)
3	MV Agusta	18th
4th	Norton	9
5	Gilera	8th
6th	AJS	8th

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

250 cc class

Race results

	date	run	route	1st place	place 2	place 3	Nice Race lap
1	06.06.	38th Isle of Man TT	Mountain Course	Carlo Ubbiali	Roberto Colombo	Hans Baltisberger	Hans Baltisberger
2	30.06.	26. Dutch TT	Aces	Carlo Ubbiali	Luigi Taveri	Enrico Lorenzetti	Carlo Ubbiali
3	08.07.	29th Belgian GP	Spa Francorchamps	Carlo Ubbiali	Luigi Taveri	Horst Kassner	Enrico Lorenzetti
4th	07/22	20th German GP	Solitude	Carlo Ubbiali	Luigi Taveri	Remo Venturi	Carlo Ubbiali
5	08/09	28th Ulster GP	Dundrod	Luigi Taveri	Sammy Miller	Arthur Wheeler	Carlo Ubbiali
6th	09.09.	34th Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Carlo Ubbiali	Enrico Lorenzetti	Remo Venturi	Carlo Ubbiali

Driver ranking

1  Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 32 (40) 2  Luigi Taveri MV Agusta 26 (29) 3  Enrico Lorenzetti Moto Guzzi 10 4th  Roberto Colombo MV Agusta 9 5  Horst Kassner NSU 9 6th  Remo Venturi Moto Guzzi 8th 7th  Sammy Miller NSU 7th 8th  Hans Baltisberger (†) NSU 7th 9  Arthur Wheeler Moto Guzzi 5 10  Kees Koster NSU 3

Bob Coleman NSU 3 12  František Bartoš ČZ 3  Lo Simons (†) NSU 2  Bob Brown NSU 2  Bill Maddrick Moto Guzzi 2  Alano Montanari Moto Guzzi 2 17th  Jirí Košt'ír ČZ 1  Jean-Pierre Bayle NSU 1  Roland Heck NSU 1  Maurice Bula NSU 1

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

Constructors' championship

1	MV Agusta	32 (48)
2	NSU	17 (20)
3	Moto Guzzi	15th
4th	ČZ	3

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

125 cc class

Race results

	date	run	route	1st place	place 2	place 3	Nice Race lap
1	06.06.	38th Isle of Man TT	Clypse Course	Carlo Ubbiali	Marcello Cama	Francisco González	Carlo Ubbiali
2	30.06.	26. Dutch TT	Aces	Carlo Ubbiali	Luigi Taveri	August Hobl	Carlo Ubbiali
3	08.07.	29th Belgian GP	Spa Francorchamps	Carlo Ubbiali	Fortunato Libanori	Pierre Monneret	Romolo Ferri
4th	07/22	20th German GP	Solitude	Romolo Ferri	Carlo Ubbiali	Tarquinio Provini	Romolo Ferri
5	08/11	28th Ulster GP	Dundrod	Carlo Ubbiali	Romolo Ferri	Bill Webster	Carlo Ubbiali
6th	09.09.	34th Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Carlo Ubbiali	Tarquinio Provini	Renato Sartori	Tarquinio Provini

Driver ranking

1  Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 32 (46) 2  Romolo Ferri Gilera 14th 3  Luigi Taveri MV Agusta 12 4th  Tarquinio Provini FB Mondial 10 5  Fortunato Libanori MV Agusta 9 6th  Marcello Cama Montesa 6th 7th  August Hobl DKW 6th 8th  Karl Hofmann DKW 5 9  Francisco González Montesa 4th  Pierre Monneret Gilera 4th  Bill Webster MV Agusta 4th

Renato Sartori FB Mondial 4th 13  Cecil Sandford FB Mondial 4th 14th  Enrico Sirera Montesa 3  Bill Maddrick MV Agusta 3 16  Dave Chadwick LEF 2  Frank Cope MV Agusta 2  Sandro Artusi Ducati 2 19th  Václav Parus ČZ 1  František Bartoš ČZ 1 John Grace Montesa 1

Constructors' championship

1	MV Agusta	32 (46)
2	Gilera	18th
3	FB Mondial	13
4th	DKW	7th
5	Montesa	6th
6th	LEF	2
	Ducati	2
8th	ČZ	2

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

Carriages (500 cm³)

Race results

	date	run	route	1st place	place 2	place 3	Nice Race lap
1	08.06.	38th Isle of Man TT	Clypse Course	Fritz Hillebrand / Manfred Grunwald	Pip Harris and Ray Campbell	Bill Boddice / William Storr	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron
2	30.06.	26. Dutch TT	Aces	Fritz Hillebrand / Manfred Grunwald	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron	Cyril Smith / Stanley Dibben	Pip Harris and Ray Campbell
3	08.07.	29th Belgian GP	Spa Francorchamps	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron	Pip Harris and Ray Campbell	Bob Mitchell / Eric Bliss	Cyril Smith / Stanley Dibben
4th	07/22	20th German GP	Solitude	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron	Fritz Hillebrand / Manfred Grunwald	Helmut Fath / Emil Ohr	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron
5	08/11	28th Ulster GP	Dundrod	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron	Pip Harris and Ray Campbell	Florian Camathias / Maurice Büla	Wilhelm Noll / Fritz Cron
6th	09.09.	34th Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Albino Milani / Rossano Milani	Pip Harris and Ray Campbell	Fritz Hillebrand / Manfred Grunwald	Albino Milani / Rossano Milani

Driver ranking

1	Wilhelm Noll	Fritz Cron	BMW	30th
2	Fritz Hillebrand	Manfred Grunwald	BMW	26 (29)
3	Pip Harris	Ray Campbell	Norton	24
4th	Bob Mitchell	Eric Bliss	Norton	10
5	Florian Camathias	Maurice Bula	BMW	9
6th	Albino Milani	Rossano Milani	Gilera	8th
7th	Cyril Smith	Stanley Dibben	Norton	6th
	Helmut Fath	Emil ear	BMW	6th
9	Bill Boddice	William Storr	Norton	4th
10	Walter Schneider	Hans Strauss	BMW	3
11	Jacques Drion	Inge Stoll	BMW	4th
12	Frank Taylor	Ron Taylor	Norton	4th
13	Jackie Beeton	Les Nutt	Norton	2
14th	Bill Beevers	Jeff Mundy	Norton	2
15th	Ernie Walker	Dun Roberts	Norton	1
	Loni Neussner	Dieter Hess	BMW	1
	Jack Wijns	Mick Woollett	BMW	1

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

Constructors' championship

1	BMW	32 (44)
2	Norton	24 (30)
3	Gilera	8th

(Points in brackets including deletion results )

Web links

Commons : Motorcycle World Championship 1956  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Official website of the motorcycle world championship
• Detailed statistics for the 1956 season at racingmemo.free.fr (French)