# 1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the third F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 8 April, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 9 September. As of 2024, this is the most recent season the premier class was won by a non-Japanese or non-Italian constructor.

## 1951 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Sidecars 500cc winner | Report |
| 1 | 8 April | Spanish Grand Prix | Montjuïc | Guido Leoni | | Tommy Wood | Umberto Masetti | Oliver / Dobelli | Report |
| 2 | 27 May | Swiss Grand Prix | Bremgarten | | Dario Ambrosini | Leslie Graham | Fergus Anderson | Frigerio / Ricotti | Report |
| 3 | 8 June | Isle of Man TT | Snaefell Mountain | Cromie McCandless | Tommy Wood | Geoff Duke | Geoff Duke | | Report |
| 4 | 1 July | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | | | Geoff Duke | Geoff Duke | Oliver / Dobelli | Report |
| 5 | 7 July | Dutch TT | Assen | Gianni Leoni | | Bill Doran | Geoff Duke | | Report |
| 6 | 14 July | French Grand Prix | Albi | | Bruno Ruffo | Geoff Duke | Alfredo Milani | Oliver / Dobelli | Report |
| 7 | 18 August | Ulster Grand Prix | Clady | Cromie McCandless † | Bruno Ruffo | Geoff Duke | Geoff Duke | | Report |
| 8 | 9 September | Nations Grand Prix | Monza | Carlo Ubbiali | Enrico Lorenzetti | Geoff Duke | Alfredo Milani | Milani / Pizzocri | Report |
† The race saw only four competitors and was not counted as a round of the World Championship.

## Standings
### Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the best three races counted in the Sidecars, 125cc and 250cc, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, the best five results counted.
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th |
| Points | 8 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |

#### 500cc final standings

| Pos | Rider | Machine | ESP | SUI | MAN | BEL | HOL | FRA | ULS | NAC | Pts |
| 1 | Geoff Duke | Norton | | Ret | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 35 |
| 2 | Alfredo Milani | Gilera | Ret | Ret | | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 31 |
| 3 | Umberto Masetti | Gilera | 1 | | | 9 | Ret | 4 | 3 | 2 | 21 |
| 4 | Bill Doran | AJS | | | 2 | Ret | Ret | 2 | 6 | 6 | 14 |
| 5 | Nello Pagani | Gilera | Ret | Ret | | 5 | 10 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 10 |
| 6 | Reg Armstrong | AJS | | 2 | Ret | 4 | | Ret | Ret | | 9 |
| 7 | Fergus Anderson | Moto Guzzi | Ret | 1 | | Ret | Ret | 7 | | | 8 |
| 8 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Norton / Moto Guzzi | Ret | 3 | | 8 | 3 | 9 | | Ret | 8 |
| 9 | Tommy Wood | Norton | 2 | 11 | 14 | | | 16 | | | 6 |
| 10 | Ken Kavanagh | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 2 | Ret | 6 |
| 11 | Johnny Lockett | Norton | | | Ret | 6 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 6 |
| 12 | Carlo Bandirola | MV Agusta | 5 | 4 | | Ret | Ret | | | 9 | 5 |
| 13 | Sante Geminiani | Moto Guzzi | Ret | Ret | | 3 | Ret | 13 | | | 4 |
| 14 | Arciso Artesiani | MV Agusta | 3 | Ret | | | Ret | | | Ret | 4 |
| = | Cromie McCandless | Norton | | | 3 | | | | | | 4 |
| 16 | Tommy McEwans | Norton | | | 4 | | | | | | 3 |
| = | Roger Montané | Norton | 4 | | | | | | | | 3 |
| 18 | Jack Brett | Norton | | | | 7 | 5 | 6 | Ret | 8 | 3 |
| 19 | Bruno Ruffo | Moto Guzzi | | | | | Ret | | | 5 | 2 |
| 20 | Manliff Barrington | Norton | | | 5 | | | | | | 2 |
| = | Benoit Musy | Moto Guzzi | | 5 | | | | | | | 2 |
| 22 | Len Perry | Norton | | | 9 | 12 | 6 | Ret | | | 1 |
| 23 | Willy Lips | Norton | | 6 | | | | | | | 1 |
| = | Ashley Len Parry | Norton | | | 6 | | | | | | 1 |
| = | Ernesto Vidal | Gilera | 6 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 26 | Arthur Wheeler | Norton | | | Ret | | 7 | 14 | 11 | Ret | 0 |
| 27 | Hans Baltisberger | Norton | | 7 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Eric Briggs | Norton | | | 7 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Louis Carter | Norton | | | | | | | 7 | | 0 |
| = | Libero Liberati | Gilera | | | | | | | | 7 | 0 |
| 31 | Albert Moule | Norton | | | 8 | | | | 9 | | 0 |
| 32 | Bill Petch | AJS/ Norton | Ret | | | | Ret | 8 | Ret | 15 | 0 |
| 33 | Lous van Riswijk | Triumph | | | | Ret | 8 | | | | 0 |
| 34 | Massimo Forster | Gilera | | 8 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 35 | Väinö Hollming | Norton / Moto Guzzi | | 9 | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| 36 | Cees Fokke-Bosch | Norton | | | | | 9 | | | | 0 |
| 37 | Rod Coleman | Norton / AJS | | | Ret | 10 | | 11 | Ret | Ret | 0 |
| 38 | Sidney Mason | Norton | | 10 | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| 39 | Ken Armstrong | Norton | | | | | | | | 10 | 0 |
| = | Phil Carter | Norton | | | | | | | 10 | | 0 |
| = | Les Dear | Norton | | | 10 | | | | | | 0 |
| 42 | Ray Amm | Norton | | | 28 | 11 | 11 | 12 | | 12 | 0 |
| 43 | Guy Newman | Norton | | | 11 | | | | | | 0 |
| 44 | Jack Bailey | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 12 | | 0 |
| = | Roy Evans | Norton / AJS | | | 12 | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 46 | Alexandre Mayer | Norton | | 12 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 47 | Harold Grindley | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 13 | | 0 |
| 48 | Dante Bianchi | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| = | Dennis Lashmar | Norton | | | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| 50 | Maurice Acheson | AJS | | | | | | | 14 | | 0 |
| = | Giuseppe Colnago | Gilera | | | | | | | | 14 | 0 |
| = | Auguste Goffin | Norton | | | | 14 | | | | | 0 |
| 53 | Bill Hall | Velocette | | | Ret | | | | 15 | | 0 |
| 54 | Jean Behra | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| = | León Martin | Gilera | | | | 15 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Roy Walker | Velocette | | | 15 | | | | | | 0 |
| 57 | Giulie Galbiati | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | | 17 | | Ret | | 16 | 0 |
| 58 | Felice Benasedo | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | 31 | 16 | Ret | | | Ret | 0 |
| 59 | Robert Ferguson | AJS | | | | | | | 16 | | 0 |
| = | Sid Franklen | AJS | | | 16 | | | | | | 0 |
| 61 | Ernie Barrett | AJS | | | Ret | | | 17 | | | 0 |
| 62 | Syl Anderton | Norton | | | 17 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Lodovico Facchinelli | Gilera | | | | | | | | 17 | 0 |
| = | Jack Harding | AJS | | | | | | | 17 | | 0 |
| 65 | Georges Houel | Gilera | Ret | | | | | 18 | | | 0 |
| 66 | Charlie Gray | AJS | | | 18 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | George Brockerton | Bitza | | | | | | | 18 | | 0 |
| = | Jaak Delsing | Triumph | | | | 18 | | | | | 0 |
| 69 | Leo Starr | AJS | | | 27 | | | | 19 | | 0 |
| 70 | Ernie Thomas | Velocette / Norton | | Ret | | 19 | | | | Ret | 0 |
| 71 | George Paterson | AJS | | | 19 | | | | | | 0 |
| 72 | Sven Sørensen | Norton | | | 20 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Albert Vertriest | Triumph | | | | 20 | | | | | 0 |
| 74 | Evert Carlsson | Norton | | | | 21 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ronald Pike | BSA | | | 21 | | | | | | 0 |
| 76 | Ray Petty | Norton | | | 22 | | | | | | 0 |
| 77 | Arnold Jones | Norton | | | 23 | | | | | | 0 |
| 78 | Achie Fenn | Norton | | | 24 | | | | | | 0 |
| 79 | Jim Kentish | AJS | | | 25 | | | | | | 0 |
| 80 | Humphrey Ranson | AJS / Norton | | | 26 | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| 81 | Eddie Stidolph | Norton | | | 29 | | | | | | 0 |
| 82 | Max Klein | AJS | | | 30 | | | | | | 0 |
| 83 | Leslie Harris | Norton | | | 32 | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| 84 | Ernie Braine | Norton | | | 33 | | | | | | 0 |
| 85 | John Fisher | Velocette | | | 34 | | | | | | 0 |
| 86 | Joe Chapman | Rudge-Whitworth | | | 35 | | | | | | 0 |
| 87 | Bill Maddrick | Velocette | | | 36 | | | | | | 0 |
| 88 | J. Gunn | Norton | | | 37 | | | | | | 0 |
| 89 | Bob McDonald | AJS | | | 38 | | | | | | 0 |
| 90 | Bill Beevers | AJS / Norton | Ret | | 39 | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Leslie Graham | MV Agusta / Norton | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Bruno Bertacchini | MV Agusta | Ret | Ret | | | Ret | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Bob Matthews | Norton | Ret | Ret | | Ret | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Eric Oliver | Norton | Ret | | | Ret | | Ret | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Mick Featherstone | AJS | | | Ret | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | Charlie Salt | BSA / Velocette | | | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Edouard Texidor | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Javier de Ortueta | Norton | DNS | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Fernando Aranda | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Raymond Becquevort | AJS | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Gaetano Biondelli | Gilera | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Charlie Brett | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Charlie Bruguiere | AJS | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Florian Camathias | BMW | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Bernard Carter | Triumph | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Phil Carter | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Jacques Collot | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| – | Eugéne Cordang | Triumph | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | Georges Cordey | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Firmin Dauwe | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | Julien Deronne | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Jacques Drion | Norton | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Roger Ergé | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | Lennart Fenning | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Tito Forconi | Gilera | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Frank Fry | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Werner Gerber | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Francesco Guglielminetti | Gilera | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Eric Hardy | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Philip Heath | Vincent | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| – | Johnny Hodgkin | Vincent | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Chris Horn | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Sid Lawton | AJS | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | George Leigh | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Guido Leoni | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Harry Lindsay | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Maurice Lockwood | AJS | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Tony McAlpine | Gilera | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Reg McDonald | Velocette | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Stan Miller | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Georges Monneret | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| – | George Morgan | Velocette | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ken Mudford | AJS | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Alan Mullee | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Bill Mundy | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Arthur Pollitt | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Brian Purslow | BSA | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Jacques Raffeld | AJS | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Michael Roche | Triumph | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Elio Scopigno | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Oliver Scott | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ralf Seymour | Velocette | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Cyril Stevens | Triumph | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Heinrich Stamm | Gilera | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Jack Varlow | AJS | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ernest Walker | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Leonard Williams | Velocette | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | ESP | SUI | MAN | BEL | HOL | FRA | ULS | NAC | 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 | Norton | 38 (44) |
| 2 | Gilera | 36 (40) |
| 3 | AJS | 21 (23) |
| 4 | Moto Guzzi | 18 |
| 5 | MV Agusta | 7 |
| – | BMW | 0 |
| – | BSA | 0 |
| – | Rudge-Whitworth | 0 |
| – | Triumph | 0 |
| – | Velocette | 0 |
| – | Vincent | 0 |

### 350cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Geoff Duke | United Kingdom | Norton | 40 | 5 |
| 2 | Bill Doran | United Kingdom | AJS | 19 | 1 |
| 3 | John Lockett | United Kingdom | Norton | 19 | 0 |
| 4 | Ken Kavanagh | Australia | Norton | 16 | 0 |
| 5 | Jack Brett | United Kingdom | Norton | 15 | 0 |
| 6 | Leslie Graham | United Kingdom | Velocette | 14 | 1 |
| 7 | Reg Armstrong | Ireland | AJS | 11 | 0 |
| 8 | Bill Petch | United Kingdom | AJS | 10 | 0 |
| 9 | Cecil Sandford | United Kingdom | Velocette | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | Tommy Wood | United Kingdom | Velocette | 8 | 1 |
| 11 | Bill Lomas | United Kingdom | Velocette | 6 | 0 |
| 12 | Rod Coleman | New Zealand | AJS | 5 | 0 |
| 13 | Mick Featherstone | United Kingdom | AJS | 4 | 0 |
| 14 | Fernando Aranda | Spain | Velocette | 3 | 0 |
| = | Paul Fuhrer | Switzerland | Velocette | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | Sid Mason | United Kingdom | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| = | Jack Raffeld | Belgium | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| = | Simon Sandys-Winsch | United Kingdom | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | Johnny Grace | Gibraltar | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Bob Matthews | Ireland | Velocette | 1 | 0 |
| = | Bob Foster | United Kingdom | Velocette | 1 | 0 |
| = | Leonhardt Faßl | Austria | AJS | 1 | 0 |

### 250cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Bruno Ruffo | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 22 | 2 |
| 2 | Tommy Wood | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 18 | 1 |
| 3 | Dario Ambrosini | Italy | Benelli | 14 | 1 |
| 4 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 12 | 1 |
| 5 | Gianni Leoni | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Maurice Cann | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 6 | 0 |
| = | Arthur Wheeler | United Kingdom | Velocette | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | Fergus Anderson | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 3 | 0 |
| = | Wilf Hutt | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 3 | 0 |
| = | Alano Montanari | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 3 | 0 |
| = | Benoit Musy | Switzerland | Moto Guzzi | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | Bill Lomas | United Kingdom | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| = | Cecil Sandford | United Kingdom | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| = | Douglas Beasley | United Kingdom | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| = | Bruno Francisci | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Fron Purslow | United Kingdom | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Norman Blemings | Ireland | Excelsior | 1 | 0 |
| = | Werner Gerber | Switzerland | Moto Guzzi | 1 | 0 |
| = | Nino Grieco | Italy | Parilla | 1 | 0 |
| = | Guido Paciocca | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 1 | 0 |

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

| Pos. | Rider | Bike | ESP | MAN | NED | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Carlo Ubbiali | Mondial | 2$^F$ | 2 | | 1$^F$ | 20 |
| 2 | Gianni Leoni | Mondial | | 3 | 1$^F$ | | 12 |
| 3 | Cromie McCandless | Mondial | | 1$^F$ | | 4 | 11 |
| 4 | Luigi Zinzani | Morini | | | 2 | 3 | 10 |
| 5 | Guido Leoni | Mondial | 1 | | | | 8 |
| 6 | Vittorio Zanzi | Morini | 3 | | 4 | | 7 |
| 7 | Romolo Ferri | Mondial | | | | 2 | 6 |
| 8 | Leslie Graham | MV Agusta | | | 3 | | 4 |
| 9 | Juan Bultó | Montesa | 5 | 5 | | | 4 |
| 10 | Raffaele Alberti | Mondial | 4 | | | | 3 |
| 10 | Nello Pagani | Mondial | | 4 | | | 3 |
| 12 | Franco Bertoni | MV Agusta | | | 5 | | 2 |
| 12 | Otello Spadoni | Mondial | | | | 5 | 2 |
| 14 | José Antonio Elizalde | Mondial | 6 | | | | 1 |
| 14 | José Maria Llobet | Montesa | | 6 | | | 1 |
| 14 | Emilio Mendogni | Morini | | | 6 | | 1 |
| 14 | Giuseppe Matucci | MV Agusta | | | | 6 | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | ESP | MAN | 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 | ESP | MAN | NED | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Mondial | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 24 (32) |
| 2 | Morini | 3 | | 2 | 3 | 14 |
| 3 | MV Agusta | | | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| 4 | Montesa | 5 | 5 | | | 4 |
| Pos. | Constructor | ESP | MAN | NED | NAT | Pts |