1971 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1971 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 23rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 9 May, with Austrian Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 26 September.

Season summary

Giacomo Agostini would claim his tenth world championship in 1971, passing Carlo Ubbiali and Mike Hailwood as the all time championship leader.[1] Angel Nieto challenged for the 50cc and 125cc titles. A crash in the final 50cc race handed the title to Dutchman Jan de Vries but, Nieto was able to claim the 125 crown over a young Barry Sheene.[1] Phil Read captured the 250 championship on a private Yamaha-powered Eric Cheney-designed chassis, after falling out with the Yamaha factory.[1][2]

Agostini won the 350 title for the fourth year in a row but a newcomer served notice when young Finn, Jarno Saarinen, won his first Grand Prix at the Czechoslovak round then won again in Italy.[1] Agostini had things his way in the 500cc class, winning the first eight rounds of the eleven race series against minimal factory-sponsored opposition.[1] For the second consecutive year a New Zealand rider finished second in the premier class – Ginger Molloy in 1970 and Keith Turner in 1971.[1]

Jack Findlay's victory at the 1971 Ulster Grand Prix not only marked the first victory for a Suzuki motorcycle in the premier 500cc class, but also the first-ever 500cc class victory for a motorcycle powered by a two stroke engine.[3][4] Kawasaki won their first 500cc class victory at the season ending Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama when Dave Simmonds won the race after Agostini sat out the event after already winning the championship.[1] The inaugural Austrian Grand Prix was held at the new high-speed Salzburgring.

1971 Grand Prix season calendar

Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report
1 9 May Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Jan de Vries Angel Nieto Silvio Grassetti Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Butscher / Huber Report
2 16 May West German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Jan de Vries Dave Simmonds Phil Read Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Auerbacher / Hahn Report
3 12 June Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Chas Mortimer Phil Read Tony Jefferies Giacomo Agostini Schauzu / Kalauch Report
4 26 June Dutch TT Assen Angel Nieto Angel Nieto Phil Read Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Owesle / Kremer Report
5 4 July Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Jan de Vries Barry Sheene Silvio Grassetti Giacomo Agostini Schauzu / Kalauch Report
6 11 July East German Grand Prix Sachsenring Angel Nieto Angel Nieto Dieter Braun Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Report
7 18 July Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Barry Sheene Angel Nieto János Drapál Jarno Saarinen Schauzu / Kalauch Report
8 25 July Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Angel Nieto Barry Sheene Rodney Gould Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Report
9 1 August Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Barry Sheene Rodney Gould Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Owesle / Rutterford Report
10 14 August Ulster Grand Prix Dundrod Ray McCullough Peter Williams Jack Findlay Owesle / Rutterford Report
11 12 September Nations Grand Prix Monza Jan de Vries Gilberto Parlotti Gyula Marsovsky Jarno Saarinen Alberto Pagani Report
12 26 September Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Jan de Vries Angel Nieto Jarno Saarinen Teuvo Länsivuori Dave Simmonds Report

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of six races were counted on 50cc, 125cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, best of seven in 250cc, while in the Sidecars, the best of five races were counted.

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

Pos Rider Machine AUT
 GER
 MAN
 HOL
 BEL
 DDR
 SWE
 FIN
 ULS
 NAC
 ESP
 Pts
1 Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Ret 90 (120)
2 Keith Turner Coleman-Suzuki 2 Ret 7 4 Ret 2 2 4 Ret 6 5 58 (67)
3 Rob Bron Suzuki 2 2 4 8 Ret 3 2 57
4 Dave Simmonds Kawasaki Ret 3 Ret 6 2 3 1 52
5 Jack Findlay Suzuki / Jawa 4 Ret Ret 3 10 5 1 5 6 50 (51)
6 Eric Offenstadt Kawasaki 3 Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret 3 32
7 Tommy Robb Hurst-Seeley / Matchless 6 15 7 Ret 3 9 3 31
8 Alberto Pagani Linto / MV Agusta 7 5 Ret Ret Ret Ret 7 1 29
9 Kaarlo Koivuniemi Seeley-Matchless 5 5 Ret 2 24
10 Ron Chandler Kawasaki 3 Ret 5 Ret 8 Ret 19
11 Frank Perris Suzuki / Seeley / Linto 3 7 Ret Ret Ret 14
12 Lothar John Yamaha 5 Ret 12 Ret Ret Ret 8 7 13
13 Gianpiero Zubani Kawasaki Ret 2 12
14 Peter Williams Arter-Matchless 2 12
15 Bo Granath Husqvarna 8 Ret Ret 8 Ret 6 10 Ret 12
16 Billie Nelson Paton 6 6 10 11
17 Ernst Hiller Kawasaki Ret 11 Ret Ret 3 10
18 Maurice Hawthorne Kawasaki Ret 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 8
19 Hans-Rudolf Brünger Bultaco 4 Ret 8
20 Benjamin Grau Bultaco 4 8
= Selwyn Griffiths Cowles-Matchless 4 8
= Ulfe Nilsson Seeley-Matchless 4 8
= Phil Read Ducati 4 8
= Percy Tait Seeley-Matchless 4 8
25 Ivan Carlsson Yamaha Ret Ret 11 6 Ret Ret Ret 9 7
26 Jim Curry Seeley-Matchless Ret 5 Ret 6
27 Gerry Mateer Norton Ret 5 6
= Gordon Pantall Padgett-Kawasaki 5 Ret 6
29 Karl Auer Matchless Ret Ret 6 Ret 5
30 Matti Salonen Yamaha Ret Ret 6 5
31 Roger Sutcliffe Matchless 6 5
32 Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW 7 10 Ret Ret 5
33 Piet Van der Wal Kawasaki Ret 9 Ret 8 5
34 Peter Jones Suzuki 19 Ret 7 4
35 Jean Campiche Honda 7 Ret 4
36 Tom Herron Seeley 7 4
= Morgan Radberg Monark 7 4
38 Kurt-Willy Bertsch BMW 8 3
= Joan Bordons Bultaco 8 3
= Jerry Lancaster Yamaha 8 3
= Charlie Sanby Seeley-Matchless 8 3
42 Paul Eickelberg Yamaha 9 10 Ret 3
43 Johnny Bengtsson Kawasaki 9 Ret 2
= Pentti Lehtelä Yamaha 9 Ret 2
45 Tom Dickie Cowles-Matchless 9 2
= Horst Dzierzawa Yamaha 9 2
= Giuseppe Mongardi Ducati 9 2
= Donnie Robinson Padgett-Yamaha 9 2
49 John Dodds König Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 1
50 Emanuele Maugliani Seeley-Matchless 10 1
= Rob Noorlander Norton 10 1
= Stan Woods Norton 10 1
53 Brian Moses Norton 11 16 0
54 Charlie Dobson Seeley Ret Ret Ret 11 0
55 Werner Bergold Kawasaki Ret 11 Ret 0
56 Larbi Habbiche Yamaha 11 0
57 Robert Graham Norton Ret 12 0
58 Norman Price Norton 12 0
59 Alan Lawton Norton 13 13 0
60 Rolf Rott Kawasaki 13 0
61 Derek Lee Matchless 14 0
= Roger Nichols Matchless 14 0
63 Roy Reid Seeley 32 15 0
64 Roy Bisbey Norton 16 0
65 Geoff Barry Oakley-Matchless / Seeley 17 Ret 0
66 Brian Scully Scott 17 0
67 Bob Ramsey Seeley 18 0
= Jeff Wade Tickle Manx Norton 18 0
69 Chris Neve Seeley 30 19 0
70 Don Harris Norton 20 0
71 Dave Foulkes Norton 21 0
72 Jeff Boniface Norton 22 0
73 Brian Edwards Norton 23 0
74 Fred Walton Velocette-Metisse 24 0
75 Len Williams Aermacchi 25 0
76 Tom Loughridge Suzuki 26 0
77 Gordon Daniels TWS Suzuki 27 0
78 Jim Ashton Seeley 28 0
79 John Stanley Seeley 29 0
80 Trevor Armstrong Norton 31 0
– Gyula Marsovszky Linto Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
– Theo Louwes Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
– Hannu Kuparinen Suzuki Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
– Martin Carney Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
– Cristian Ravel Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
– Alan Barnett Aermacchi Ret Ret Ret 0
– Silvano Bertarelli Kawasaki Ret Ret Ret 0
– Karl Hoppe König Ret Ret Ret 0
– Börje Andersson Honda Ret Ret 0
– Vincent Duckett Seeley Ret Ret 0
– Roberto Gallina Paton Ret Ret 0
– Steve Ellis Yamaha Ret Ret 0
– Sven-Olov Gunnarsson Kawasaki Ret Ret 0
– Tony Jefferies Arter-Matchless Ret Ret 0
– Kai Kuparinen Suzuki Ret Ret 0
– Billy McCosh Seeley Ret Ret 0
– Ginger Molloy Kawasaki Ret Ret 0
– Borge Nielsen Honda Ret Ret 0
– Bill Smith Seeley / Kawasaki Ret Ret 0
– John Williams Arter-Matchless Ret Ret 0
– Brian Adams Norton Ret Ret 0
– Abe Alexander Seeley Ret 0
– Tony Anderson Matchless Ret 0
– Martin Ashwood Quaife Metisse Ret 0
– Sergio Baroncini Ducati Ret 0
– Jöram Blom Seeley Ret 0
– Hans Braumandl Matchless Ret 0
– Clive Brown Norton Ret 0
– Paolo Campanelli Kawasaki Ret 0
– Alistair Copeland Norton Ret 0
– Walter Dawson Norton Ret 0
– Terry Dennehy Honda Ret 0
– Derek Filler Seeley Ret 0
– George Fogarty Cunningham-Suzuki Ret 0
– Bill Fulton Stafford-Matchless Ret 0
– Denis Gallagher Seeley Ret 0
– Alex George Kawasaki Ret 0
– Peter Gibson Seeley Ret 0
– Tony Godfrey Tickle Manx Norton Ret 0
– Campbell Gorman Seeley Ret 0
– Don Grant Norton Ret 0
– Terry Grotefeld Padgett-Yamaha Ret 0
– Billie Guthrie Yamaha Ret 0
– Osmo Hansen Linto Ret 0
– Morten Hauger Honda Ret 0
– Harris Healey Norton Ret 0
– Bob Health BSA Ret 0
– Keith Heckles Norton Ret 0
– Ari Heikkilä Matchless Ret 0
– John Hughes Yamaha Ret 0
– Albert Hund Honda Ret 0
– Ted Janssen Suzuki Ret 0
– Malcolm Jefery Norton Ret 0
– Lasse Johansson HM Ret 0
– Arpad Juhos Aermacchi Ret 0
– Austin Kinsella Matchless Ret 0
– Ray Knight Hughes-Triumph Ret 0
– Udo Kochanski BMW Ret 0
– Otto Labitzke BMW Ret 0
– Horst Lahfeld König Ret 0
– Vasco Loro Yamaha Ret 0
– Alois Maxwald Linto Ret 0
– Ray McCullough Seeley Ret 0
– Ian McGregor Norton Ret 0
– Stephen Murray Seeley Ret 0
– Godfrey Nash Honda Ret 0
– Oiva Papunen Kawasaki Ret 0
– Anssi Resko Suzuki Ret 0
– Walter Rungg Aermacchi Ret 0
– Hasse Rutgersson HRS Ret 0
– Reinhard Scholtis Kawasaki Ret 0
– Alfred Schwander Suzuki Ret 0
– Bruno Spaggiari Ducati Ret 0
– Bo Strandell Linto Ret 0
– Claus Tarum Honda Ret 0
– Ken Tilley Norton Ret 0
– Jupp Tröblinger König Ret 0
– Dennis Trollope Seeley Ret 0
– Brian Walsh Norton Ret 0
– Carl Ward Norton Ret 0
– Manfred Weingartner Matchless Ret 0
– Max Wiener Aermacchi Ret 0
– Louis With Kawasaki Ret 0
– Ray Wittich Saunders-Norton Ret 0
– Benedetto Zambotti Kawasaki Ret 0
Pos Rider Bke AUT
 GER
 MAN
 HOL
 BEL
 DDR
 SWE
 FIN
 ULS
 NAC
 ESP
 Pts
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points classification
Blue Non-points classification
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired, not classified (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

1971 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Giacomo Agostini 1 Italy MV Agusta 90 6
2 Jarno Saarinen Finland Yamaha 63 2
3 Ivan Carlsson Sweden Yamaha 39 0
4 Theo Bult Netherlands Yamaha 36 0
5 Paul Smart United Kingdom Yamaha 34 0
6 Werner Pfirter Switzerland Yamaha 33 0
7 Bo Granath 10 Sweden Yamaha 30 0
7 László Szabó Hungary Yamaha 29 0
9 Tony Jefferies United Kingdom Yamaha 25 1
10 Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha 25 1

1971 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Phil Read United Kingdom Yamaha 73 3
2 Rodney Gould 1 United Kingdom Yamaha 68 2
3 Jarno Saarinen 4 Finland Yamaha 64 1
4 John Dodds Australia Yamaha 59 0
5 Dieter Braun West Germany Yamaha 58 1
6 Gyula Marsovsky 7 Switzerland Yamaha 57 1
7 Silvio Grassetti 10 Italy MZ 43 2
8 Chas Mortimer 6 United Kingdom Yamaha 42 0
9 János Drapál Hungary Yamaha 26 1
10 Theo Bult 20 Netherlands Yamaha 22 0

1971 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Angel Nieto 1 Spain Derbi 87 5
2 Barry Sheene United Kingdom Suzuki 79 3
3 Börje Jansson 3 Sweden Maico 64 0
4 Dieter Braun West Germany Maico 54 0
5 Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha 48 1
6 Dave Simmonds 4 United Kingdom Kawasaki 48 1
7 Gert Bender West Germany Maico 41 0
8 Gilberto Parlotti Italy Morbidelli 39 1
9 Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha 30 0
10 Jurgen Lenk East Germany MZ 27 0

1971 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Jan De Vries 5 Netherlands Kreidler 75 5
2 Angel Nieto 1 Spain Derbi 69 3
3 Jos Schurgers 6 Netherlands Kreidler 42 0
4 Herman Meyers 10 Netherlands Jamathi 41 0
5 Rudolf Kunz West Germany Kreidler 36 0
6 Aalt Toersen Netherlands Jamathi 24 0
7 Barry Sheene United Kingdom Kreidler 23 1
8 Gilberto Parlotti 9 Italy Derbi 22 0
9 Federico van der Hoeven Netherlands Derbi 22 0
10 Jan Bruins Netherlands Kreidler 19 0

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Noyes, Dennis; Scott, Michael (1999), Motocourse: 50 Years Of Moto Grand Prix, Hazleton Publishing Ltd, ISBN 1-874557-83-7
  2. ^ Melling, Frank (10 January 2002). "Obituary:Eric Cheney". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 8 October 2010.
  3. ^ Jack Findlay obituary - The Telegraph
  4. ^ "MotoGP Milestones". crash.net. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  • Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
  • "The Official MotoGP website". Retrieved 6 July 2010.
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