# 1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1988 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the twelfth round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 5–7 August 1988 at Donington Park.

## 500 cc race report

The front row: Wayne Gardner, Eddie Lawson, Christian Sarron, Niall Mackenzie and Wayne Rainey.
Rainey and Mackenzie get a good launch, and through the first turn it's Rainey and he's opening a gap the field. Rainey is using carbon fiber brakes for the first time, which had only been tested and not raced on.
Kevin Schwantz is in around 8th place and tries to pass two or three riders simultaneously at the chicane, but crashes into Ron Haslam and causes a bottleneck. Haslam struggles to get out of the gravel and back into the race, and Schwantz is out with a broken kneecap. Marco Papa highsides out of the race.
Finishing the first lap it's Rainey, then a gap to Gardner, Sarron, and Mackenzie. Randy Mamola and Norihiko Fujiwara come together at the hairpin, but stay up.
Rainey is maintaining a gap, and Gardner makes a mistake at the chicane and lets Sarron and Mackenzie through, but he's soon back to 2nd. Mamola is sliding the rear and waving to the crowd.
On the last lap, McElnea highsides coming out of the chicane.
Rainey wins his first premier-class GP.

## 500 cc classification

| Pos. | Rider | Team | Manufacturer | Time/Retired | Points |
| 1 | Wayne Rainey | Team Lucky Strike Roberts | Yamaha | 49:33.670 | 20 |
| 2 | Wayne Gardner | Rothmans Honda Team | Honda | +6.970 | 17 |
| 3 | Christian Sarron | Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 | Yamaha | +8.780 | 15 |
| 4 | Niall Mackenzie | Team HRC | Honda | +11.840 | 13 |
| 5 | Kevin Magee | Team Lucky Strike Roberts | Yamaha | +36.750 | 11 |
| 6 | Eddie Lawson | Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini | Yamaha | +40.970 | 10 |
| 7 | Didier de Radiguès | Marlboro Yamaha Team Agostini | Yamaha | +51.360 | 9 |
| 8 | Pierfrancesco Chili | HB Honda Gallina Team | Honda | +51.810 | 8 |
| 9 | Roger Burnett | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +52.390 | 7 |
| 10 | Tadahiko Taira | Tech 21 | Yamaha | +1:21.840 | 6 |
| 11 | Randy Mamola | Cagiva Corse | Cagiva | +1:32.450 | 5 |
| 12 | Norihiko Fujiwara | Lucky Strike Yamaha | Yamaha | +1 Lap | 4 |
| 13 | Mike Baldwin | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +1 Lap | 3 |
| 14 | Ron Haslam | Team ROC Elf Honda | Elf Honda | +1 Lap | 2 |
| 15 | Fabio Biliotti | Team Amoranto | Honda | +1 Lap | 1 |
| 16 | Patrick Igoa | Sonauto Gauloises Blondes Yamaha Mobil 1 | Yamaha | +1 Lap | |
| 17 | Eddie Laycock | Millar Racing | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 18 | Fabio Barchitta | Racing Team Katayama | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 19 | Daniel Amatriain | Ducados Lotus Guarz | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 20 | Marco Gentile | Fior Marlboro | Fior | +1 Lap | |
| 21 | Dave Leach | | Suzuki | +1 Lap | |
| 22 | Maarten Duyzers | HDJ International | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 23 | Simon Buckmaster | | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 24 | Kees van der Endt | Autobedrijf Koens | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| 25 | Nicholas Schmassman | FMS | Honda | +1 Lap | |
| Ret | Andreas Leuthe | | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| Ret | Rachel Nicotte | PVI Racing | Honda | Retirement | |
| Ret | Darren Dixon | | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| Ret | Bruno Kneubühler | Romer Racing Suisse | Honda | Retirement | |
| Ret | Rob McElnea | Suzuki Pepsi Cola | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| Ret | Wolfgang von Muralt | | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| Ret | Raymond Roche | Cagiva Corse | Cagiva | Retirement | |
| Ret | Steve Spray | | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| Ret | Kevin Schwantz | Suzuki Pepsi Cola | Suzuki | Retirement | |
| DNS | Alessandro Valesi | Team Iberia | Honda | Did not start | |
| DNS | Marco Papa | Team Greco | Honda | Did not start | |
| DNQ | Steve Manley | Gateford Motors | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |
| DNQ | Ian Pratt | | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |
| DNQ | Johan Ten Napel | | Suzuki | Did not qualify | |
| DNQ | Claus Wulff | | Honda | Did not qualify | |
| DNQ | Rene Zanatta | | Paton | Did not qualify | |
| Sources: ||||||