# 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc. It began on 17 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 4 September.

## 1949 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Sidecars 600cc winner | Report |
| 1 | 17 June | Isle of Man TT | Snaefell Mountain | | Manliff Barrington | Freddie Frith | Harold Daniell | | Report |
| 2 | 3 July | Swiss Grand Prix | Bremgarten | Nello Pagani | Bruno Ruffo | Freddie Frith | Leslie Graham | Oliver / Jenkinson | Report |
| 3 | 9 July | Dutch TT | Assen | Nello Pagani | | Freddie Frith | Nello Pagani | | Report |
| 4 | 17 July | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | | | Freddie Frith | Bill Doran | Oliver / Jenkinson | Report |
| 5 | 20 August | Ulster Grand Prix | Clady | | Maurice Cann | Freddie Frith | Leslie Graham | | Report |
| 6 | 4 September | Nations Grand Prix | Monza | Gianni Leoni | Dario Ambrosini | | Nello Pagani | Frigerio / Dobelli | Report |

## Standings
### Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top five finishers in each race with an extra point for the race finisher with the fastest lap. All rounds counted towards the championship in the 125cc, 250cc and Sidecar categories, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, only the best three results counted.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | Fastest lap |
| Points | 10 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 1 |

#### 500cc final standings

| Pos | Rider | Machine | MAN | SUI | NED | BEL | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Leslie Graham | AJS | 10 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | Ret | 30 (31) |
| 2 | Nello Pagani | Gilera | | 4 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 29 (40) |
| 3 | Arciso Artesiani | Gilera | | 2 | 3 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 25 (32) |
| 4 | Bill Doran | AJS | 8 | | Ret | 1 | 4 | 3 | 23 |
| 5 | Artie Bell | Norton | 4 | Ret | 4 | 4 | 2 | | 20 (26) |
| 6 | Harold Daniell | Norton | 1 | 3 | 6 | 7 | | | 17 |
| 7 | Johnny Lockett | Norton | 2 | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | | 13 |
| 8 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Moto Guzzi | | | 10 | 3 | | | 7 |
| 9 | Ernie Lyons | Velocette | 3 | | | | | | 7 |
| 10 | Gianni Leoni | Moto Guzzi | | 6 | Ret | 6 | | 4 | 6 |
| 11 | Syd Jensen | Triumph | 5 | | Ret | 9 | | | 5 |
| 12 | Freddie Frith | Velocette | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | | | 5 |
| 13 | Bruno Bertacchini | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | | | Ret | 5 | 5 |
| 14 | Jock West | AJS | | | | | 5 | | 5 |
| 15 | Ken Armstrong | AJS | | | | | | 6 | 0 |
| = | Cromie McCandless | Norton | | | | | 6 | | 0 |
| = | Fred Stevens | Triumph | 6 | | | | | | 0 |
| 18 | Ken Bills | Velocette | | 7 | Ret | 10 | | | 0 |
| 19 | Harry Turner | Norton | 18 | | | | 7 | | 0 |
| 20 | Umberto Masetti | Gilera | | | 7 | Ret | | | 0 |
| 21 | Reg Armstrong | AJS | 7 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Felice Benasedo | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 7 | 0 |
| 23 | Harry Hinton | Norton | 9 | | 8 | 16 | | | 0 |
| 24 | George Morrison | Norton | 31 | | Ret | 8 | Ret | | 0 |
| 25 | Roger Richoz | Norton | | 8 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ricardo Sabbadini | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 8 | 0 |
| = | James Scott | Triumph | | | | | 8 | | 0 |
| 28 | Oscar Clemencich | Gilera | | | 9 | Ret | | 15 | 0 |
| 29 | Sante Geminiani | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 9 | 0 |
| = | Hans Kaufmann | Gilera | | 9 | | | | | 0 |
| 31 | Dante Bianchi | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 10 | 0 |
| = | Georges Cordey | Norton | | 10 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ernie Callahan | Triumph | | | | | 10 | | 0 |
| 34 | Arthur Wheeler | Triumph | Ret | | Ret | 11 | | | 0 |
| 35 | Phil Heath | Norton | 11 | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| 36 | Adelmo Mandolini | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 11 | 0 |
| = | Benoit Musy | Moto Guzzi | | 11 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Drikus Veer | Triumph | | | 11 | | | | 0 |
| 38 | Oliver Scott | Norton | Ret | | 12 | 15 | | | 0 |
| 39 | Bill Beevers | Norton | 16 | 12 | Ret | Ret | Ret | | 0 |
| 40 | Antonio Dalle Fusine | Gilera | | | | 12 | Ret | | 0 |
| = | Bill Petch | Triumph | 12 | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| 42 | Lodovico Facchinelli | Gilera | | | | | | 12 | 0 |
| 43 | Edward Nicholls | Triumph | | | 13 | | 9 | | 0 |
| 44 | Guy Newman | Norton | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Nandor Puhony | Gilera | | 13 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Orlando Valdinoci | Gilera | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| = | Albert Vertriest | Triumph | | | | 13 | | | 0 |
| 48 | Alfeo Maramotti | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 14 | 0 |
| = | Eric McPherson | AJS | 14 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Jacques Schot | Norton | | | 14 | | | | 0 |
| = | László Szabó | Gilera | | 14 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Jules Tacheny | Triumph | | | | 14 | | | 0 |
| 53 | Roy Evans | Norton | 15 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Gerard Hoek | BMW | | | 15 | | | | 0 |
| 55 | Jack Bailey | Triumph | 17 | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 56 | Johnny Hodgkin | Norton | 19 | | | | | | 0 |
| 57 | Dick Addie | Norton | 20 | | | | | | 0 |
| 58 | Albert Moule | Triumph | 21 | | | | | | 0 |
| 59 | George Paterson | Triumph | 22 | | | | | | 0 |
| 60 | Bob Matthews | Norton | 23 | | | | | | 0 |
| 61 | George Hayden | Norton | 24 | | | | | | 0 |
| 62 | John Purnell | Norton | 25 | | | | | | 0 |
| 63 | Lesly Hill | Norton | 26 | | | | | | 0 |
| 64 | Arthur Fenn | Norton | 27 | | | | | | 0 |
| 65 | Harry Francis | Norton | 28 | | | | | | 0 |
| 66 | Eric Hardy | Norton | 29 | | | | | | 0 |
| 67 | Jack Brett | Norton | 30 | | | | | | 0 |
| 68 | Lennart Fenning | Norton | 32 | | | | | | 0 |
| 69 | Rob Weston | Norton | 33 | | | | | | 0 |
| 70 | Joe Glazebrook | Triumph | 34 | | | | | | 0 |
| 71 | Joe Dent | Norton | 35 | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Foster | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | Ret | Ret | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Carlo Bandirola | Gilera | | Ret | | | Ret | Ret | 0 |
| - | Eric Briggs | Norton | Ret | | Ret | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Les Dear | Norton | Ret | | Ret | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Ted Frend | AJS | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Fergus Anderson | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Wilf Billington | Norton | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Norman Croft | Triumph | Ret | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Frank Fry | Norton | | | Ret | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Eric Oliver | Norton | Ret | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Ernie Thomas | Triumph | | Ret | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | David Whitworth | Triumph | | | Ret | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Dario Ambrosini | Gilera | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Syl Anderton | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Syd Barnett | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jean Behra | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Aldo Bernardoni | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Ernie Braine | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Charlie Brett | Velocette | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Aldo Brini | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Gerard Carter | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Javier de Ortueta | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Roland Dumond | Moto Guzzi | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Juhan Franta | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Auguste Goffin | Triumph | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Arthur Good | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Hans Haldemann | Moto Guzzi | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Piet Knijnenburg | BMW | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Roger Laurent | Moto Guzzi | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Sid Lawton | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Reg Lee | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Leon Martin | Gilera | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Reginald MacDonald | Triumph | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Tommy McEwans | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Armando Miele | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Stan Miller | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bert Myers | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Billy Graham | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Ashley Len Parry | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Hub Pellikaan | BMW | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Henry Pinnington | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Charlie Salt | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Emilio Soprani | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Jan Veer | Triumph | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Roy Walker | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tom Wycherley | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | MAN | SUI | NED | BEL | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |

#### Constructors' 500cc World Championship

| Pos | Constructor | | | | | | | Pts |
| 1 | AJS | 6 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 32 (48) |
| 2 | Gilera | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 31 (46) |
| 3 | Norton | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | Ret | 25 (37) |
| 4 | Moto Guzzi | Ret | 6 | 10 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 13 |
| 5 | Velocette | 3 | 5 | Ret | 10 | – | – | 12 |
| 6 | Triumph | 5 | Ret | 11 | 9 | 8 | Ret | 5 |
| – | BMW | – | – | 15 | – | – | – | 0 |

#### 350cc final standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Freddie Frith | United Kingdom | Velocette | 33 | 5 |
| 2 | Reg Armstrong | Ireland | AJS | 18 | 0 |
| 3 | Bob Foster | United Kingdom | Velocette | 16 | 0 |
| 4 | Eric McPherson | Australia | AJS | 16 | 0 |
| 5 | Johnny Lockett | United Kingdom | Norton | 14 | 0 |
| 6 | David Whitworth | United Kingdom | Velocette | 12 | 0 |
| 7 | Leslie Graham | United Kingdom | AJS | 8 | 0 |
| 8 | Ernie Lyons | Ireland | Velocette | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Charlie Salt | United Kingdom | Velocette | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | Bill Doran | United Kingdom | AJS | 7 | 0 |

#### 250cc final standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Bruno Ruffo | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 24 | 1 |
| 2 | Dario Ambrosini | Italy | Benelli | 19 | 1 |
| 3 | Ronald Mead | United Kingdom | Norton | 13 | 0 |
| 4 | Maurice Cann | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 11 | 1 |
| 5 | Claudio Mastellari | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 11 | 0 |
| 6 | Manliff Barrington | Ireland | Moto Guzzi | 10 | 1 |
| 7 | Tommy Wood | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 9 | 0 |
| 8 | Fergus Anderson | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Gianni Leoni | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | Umberto Masetti | Italy | Benelli | 7 | 0 |

#### 125cc
##### Riders' standings

| Pos. | Rider | Bike | SUI | NED | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Nello Pagani | Mondial | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 5 | 27 |
| 2 | Renato Magi | Morini | 2 | | 4 | 14 |
| 3 | Umberto Masetti | Morini | 5 | DSQ | 2 | 13 |
| 4 | Carlo Ubbiali | MV Agusta | 4 | 3 | | 13 |
| 5 | Gianni Leoni | Mondial | | | 1$^F$ | 11 |
| 6 | Oscar Clemencich | Mondial | | 2 | | 8 |
| 7 | Umberto Braga | Mondial | | | 3 | 7 |
| 7 | Celeste Cavaciuti | Mondial | 3 | | | 7 |
| 9 | Franco Bertoni | MV Agusta | | 4 | | 6 |
| 10 | Giuseppe Matucci | MV Agusta | | 5 | | 5 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | SUI | NED | NAT | Pts |
Race key :
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | 2nd place |
| Bronze | 3rd place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |
| Annotation | Meaning |
| P | Pole position |
| F | Fastest lap |
| Rider key ||
| Colour | Meaning |
| Light blue | Rookie rider |

##### Constructors' standings

Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.
| Pos. | Constructor | SUI | NED | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Mondial | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 33 |
| 2 | Morini | 2 | | 2 | 16 |
| 3 | MV Agusta | 4 | 3 | | 13 |
| Pos. | Constructor | SUI | NED | NAT | Pts |

#### Sidecar final standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Eric Oliver / Denis Jenkinson | UK | Norton | 27 | 2 |
| 2 | Ercole Frigerio / Lorenzo Dobelli | Italy | Gilera | 18 | 1 |
| 3 | Frans Vanderschrick / Martin Whitney | United Kingdom | Norton | 16 | 0 |
| 4 | Ernesto Merlo / Aldo Veglio | Italy | Gilera | 13 | 0 |
| 5 | Albino Milani / Ezio Ricotti | Italy | Gilera | 12 | 1 |
| 6 | Hans Haldemann / Herbert Läderach | Switzerland | Norton | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | Roland Benz / Max Hirzel | Switzerland | BMW | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | Jakob Keller / Ernst Brutschi | Switzerland | Gilera | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Pip Harris / Neil Smith | United Kingdom | Norton | 5 | 0 |