# 1956 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1956 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the eighth 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 500cc. It began on 8 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on 9 September.
Reigning 500cc champion Geoff Duke had to serve a six months ban at the start of the season for supporting a strike by privateer riders over starting money at the 1955 Dutch TT.

## 1956 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Sidecars 500cc winner | Report |
| 1 | 8 June | Isle of Man TT | Snaefell Mountain | Carlo Ubbiali | Carlo Ubbiali | Ken Kavanagh | John Surtees | Hillebrand / Grunwald | Report |
| 2 | 30 June | Dutch TT | TT Circuit Assen | Carlo Ubbiali | Carlo Ubbiali | Bill Lomas | John Surtees | Hillebrand / Grunwald | Report |
| 3 | 8 July | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | Carlo Ubbiali | Carlo Ubbiali | John Surtees | John Surtees | Noll / Cron | Report |
| 4 | 22 July | German Grand Prix | Solitude | Romolo Ferri | Carlo Ubbiali | Bill Lomas | Reg Armstrong | Noll / Cron | Report |
| 5 | 11 August | Ulster Grand Prix | Dundrod Circuit | Carlo Ubbiali | Luigi Taveri | Bill Lomas | John Hartle | Noll / Cron | Report |
| 6 | 9 September | Nations Grand Prix | Monza | Carlo Ubbiali | Carlo Ubbiali | Libero Liberati | Geoff Duke | Milani / Milani | Report |

## Standings
### Scoring system

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

#### 500cc final standings

| Pos | Rider | Machine | MAN | HOL | BEL | GER | ULS | NAC | Pts |
| 1 | John Surtees | MV Agusta | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | 24 |
| 2 | Walter Zeller | BMW | 4 | 2 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 6 | 16 |
| 3 | John Hartle | Norton | 2 | | | | 1 | | 14 |
| 4 | Pierre Monneret | Gilera | | | 3 | 3 | | 3 | 12 |
| 5 | Reg Armstrong | Gilera | | | Ret | 1 | Ret | 4 | 11 |
| 6 | Umberto Masetti | MV Agusta | DNS | Ret | 4 | 2 | | Ret | 9 |
| 7 | Geoff Duke | Gilera | | | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1 | 8 |
| 8 | Bob Brown | Matchless | | | Ret | | 2 | | 6 |
| 9 | Libero Liberati | Gilera | | | | | | 2 | 6 |
| 10 | Eddie Grant | Norton | 37 | 3 | 11 | 5 | | | 6 |
| 11 | Jack Brett | Norton | 3 | | | | 6 | | 5 |
| 12 | Peter Murphy | Matchless | Ret | | | | 3 | | 4 |
| 13 | Keith Bryen | Norton | Ret | 4 | 10 | 6 | | | 4 |
| 14 | Gerold Klinger | BMW | | | | 4 | | 9 | 3 |
| 15 | Geoffrey Tanner | Norton | Ret | | | | 4 | | 3 |
| 16 | Alfredo Milani | Gilera | | | 5 | | | 8 | 2 |
| 17 | Bill Lomas | Moto Guzzi | 5 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | | 2 |
| 18 | Paul Fahey | Matchless | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | | | 2 |
| 19 | Carlo Bandirola | MV Agusta | | | | | | 5 | 2 |
| = | Wilf Herron | Norton | | | | | 5 | | 2 |
| 21 | Ernst Hiller | BMW | | 6 | | 8 | | 10 | 1 |
| 22 | Derek Ennett | Matchless | 6 | | | | | | 1 |
| = | Auguste Goffin | Norton | | | 6 | | | | 1 |
| 24 | Alan Trow | Norton | 7 | | | | 9 | | 0 |
| 25 | Gerald Robarts | Norton | 15 | 7 | | | | | 0 |
| 26 | Barry Hodgkinson | Norton | 22 | Ret | 7 | Ret | | | 0 |
| 27 | Alois Huber | BMW RS | | | | 7 | | Ret | 0 |
| 28 | Austin Carson | Norton | | | | | 7 | | 0 |
| = | Roberto Colombo | MV Agusta | | | | | | 7 | 0 |
| 30 | John Storr | Norton | | | 8 | Ret | | 12 | 0 |
| 31 | Dave Chadwick | Norton | 23 | | | | 8 | | 0 |
| 32 | Piet Bakker | Norton | | 8 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Gavin Dunlop | Matchless | 8 | | | | | | 0 |
| 34 | Jackie Wood | Velocette / Norton | 24 | | Ret | 9 | | Ret | 0 |
| 35 | Bob Matthews | Norton | | | 9 | Ret | | | 0 |
| 36 | Priem Rozenberg | BMW | | 9 | | | | | 0 |
| = | George Salt | Norton | 9 | | | | | | 0 |
| 38 | Dennis Chapman | Norton | 10 | | | | 11 | | 0 |
| 39 | Frederick Cook | Matchless | 18 | 10 | 13 | 17 | | | 0 |
| 40 | Angus Martin | Matchless | Ret | | | | 10 | | 0 |
| 41 | Jacques Collot | Norton Manx | | | | 10 | | Ret | 0 |
| 42 | Ernst Riedelbauch | BMW | | | Ret | 11 | | 11 | 0 |
| 43 | Ralph Rensen | Norton | 11 | | | | 13 | | 0 |
| 44 | Casper Swart | Norton | | 11 | | | | | 0 |
| 45 | John Grace | Norton | Ret | Ret | 12 | | | | 0 |
| = | Hans-Günther Jäger | Norton | | Ret | Ret | 12 | | | 0 |
| 47 | Stephen Murray | Norton | | | | | 12 | | 0 |
| = | Mike O'Rourke | Norton | 12 | | | | | | 0 |
| 49 | Giuseppe Cantoni | MV Agusta | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| = | George Costain | Norton | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Peter Knees | BMW | | | | 13 | | | 0 |
| 52 | Frank Perris | Matchless | 14 | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 53 | Michael Roche | Norton | DNS | | 14 | | | | 0 |
| = | Hans-Joachim Scheel | Norton | | | | 14 | | | 0 |
| = | Harry Turner | Norton | | | | | 14 | | 0 |
| 56 | Ulf Gate | Norton | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| = | Pierre Nicholas | Norton | | | 15 | | | | 0 |
| = | Des Sloan | Norton | | | 15 | | | | 0 |
| 59 | Frank Fox | Norton | 16 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Bill Roberton | Matchless | | | | | 16 | | 0 |
| = | Berthold Sieler | Norton | | | | 16 | | | 0 |
| 62 | Martin Brosnan | BSA | | | | | 17 | | 0 |
| = | Harry Plews | Norton | 17 | | | | | | 0 |
| 64 | Harry Lowe | BSA | 41 | | | | 18 | | 0 |
| = | Karl-Heinz Scheifel | Norton | | | | 18 | | | 0 |
| 66 | Phil Carter | Norton | 19 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Stanley Williamson | Norton | | | | | 19 | | 0 |
| 68 | Denis Christian | Matchless | 20 | | | | | | 0 |
| 69 | Ken Tostevin | Matchless | 21 | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| 70 | Ken Tully | Norton | 25 | | | | | | 0 |
| 71 | Bob Ferguson | Matchless | 26 | | | | | | 0 |
| 72 | Louis Carr | Matchless | 27 | | | | | | 0 |
| 73 | Brian Duffy | Norton | 28 | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 74 | Albert Moule | Norton | 29 | | | | | | 0 |
| 75 | Dick Thomson | Matchless | 30 | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| 76 | Llewelyn Ranson | Norton | 31 | | | | | | 0 |
| 77 | Vic Preston | Norton | 32 | | | | | | 0 |
| 78 | Bill Beevers | Norton | 33 | | | | | | 0 |
| 79 | Ken Willis | Norton | 34 | | | | | | 0 |
| 80 | James Edwards | Norton | 35 | | | | | | 0 |
| 81 | George Begg | AJS | 36 | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 82 | Joe Glazebrook | Norton | 38 | | | | | | 0 |
| 83 | E. Barona | Norton | 39 | | | | | | 0 |
| 84 | Walter Hancock | BSA | 40 | | | | | | 0 |
| 85 | Stan Cameron | AJS | 42 | | | | | | 0 |
| 86 | Ralph Wijesinghe | BSA | 43 | | | | | | 0 |
| 87 | Roly Capner | BSA | 44 | | | | | | 0 |
| 88 | John Denton | Norton | 45 | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Keith Campbell | Norton / Moto Guzzi | | | Ret | Ret | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Günther Borgesdiek | Norton | | | Ret | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Robert Coleman | Norton | | | | Ret | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Francisco González | Norton | Ret | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ken Kavanagh | Moto Guzzi | DNS | Ret | Ret | DNS | | | 0 |
| - | Olle Nygren | Matchless | Ret | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Leen Reehorst | Jawa | | Ret | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Martinus van Son | Matchless | | Ret | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Sven Andersson | Norton | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Jean-Pierre Bayle | Norton | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Raymond Bogaerdt | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Buno Böhrer | Horex | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Paolo Campanelli | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | George Catlin | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Artemio Cirelli | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | John Clark | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Robert Cook | BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ronald Cousins | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dickie Dale | Moto Guzzi | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Firmin Dawue | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Gerardo Düring | Matchless | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Anton Elbersen | Matchless | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Karl-Heinz Ewig | Norton | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Ray Fay | BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Robin Fitton | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Brian Freestone | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Enrico Galante | Norton | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Martino Giani | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Francesco Guglielminetti | Norton | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | William Hall | Norton | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Gustav Havel | Jawa | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Frantisek Helikar | Jawa | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Eric Hinton | Norton | DNS | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| - | Jaap Iesberts | Matchless | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Roy Ingram | BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Arnold Jones | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Kees Koster | Norton | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | George Leigh | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ivor Lloyd | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Giuseppe Mantelli | Gilera | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Robert McCracken | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Bob McIntyre | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jules Nies | Norton | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Frank Norris | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ernie Oliver | Norton | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Sergio Pinza | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Maurice Pizzey | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Derek Powell | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Charlie Salt | BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Brian Setchell | AJS | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Terry Shepherd | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Lodewijk Simons | Norton | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | František Šťastný | Jawa | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ken Swallow | Matchless | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Gerrit Ten Kate | Norton | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Gerry Turner | Pike-BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Drikus Veer | Jawa | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | John Waring | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Arthur Wheeler | Moto Guzzi | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Jack Wilks | BSA | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Trevor Williams | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Len Aislabie | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Rod Coleman | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Robert King | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Derek Minter | BSA | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | E. Muñoz | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | M. Muñoz | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | George Northwood | BSA | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tony Ovens | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | H. Wieland | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| - | J. Woods | Norton | DNS | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | MAN | HOL | BEL | GER | 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) |

### 350cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Bill Lomas | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 24 | 3 |
| 2 | Dickie Dale | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 17 | 0 |
| = | August Hobl | Germany | DKW | 17 | 0 |
| 4 | John Surtees | United Kingdom | MV Agusta | 14 | 1 |
| 5 | Cecil Sandford | United Kingdom | DKW | 13 | 0 |
| 6 | Ken Kavanagh | Australia | Moto Guzzi | 10 | 1 |
| 7 | Libero Liberati | Italy | Gilera | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | John Hartle | United Kingdom | Norton | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Derek Ennett | United Kingdom | AJS | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Karl Hofmann | Germany | DKW | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | Roberto Colombo | Italy | MV Agusta | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | Jack Brett | United Kingdom | Norton | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Hans Bartl | Netherlands | DKW | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Umberto Masetti | Italy | MV Agusta | 2 | 0 |
| = | Peter Murphy | New Zealand | AJS | 2 | 0 |
| = | Eddie Grant | South Africa | Norton | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Bob Brown | Australia | AJS | 1 | 0 |
| = | Bob Matthews | United Kingdom | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Alan Trow | United Kingdom | Norton | 1 | 0 |

### 250cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Carlo Ubbiali | Italy | MV Agusta | 32 | 5 |
| 2 | Luigi Taveri | Switzerland | MV Agusta | 26 | 1 |
| 3 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 10 | 0 |
| 4 | Roberto Colombo | Italy | MV Agusta | 9 | 0 |
| = | Horst Kassner | Germany | NSU | 9 | 0 |
| 6 | Remo Venturi | Italy | MV Agusta | 8 | 0 |
| 7 | Sammy Miller | United Kingdom | NSU | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | Hans Baltisberger | Germany | NSU | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | Arthur Wheeler | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Bob Coleman | New Zealand | NSU | 3 | 0 |
| = | Kees Koster | Netherlands | NSU | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | František Bartoš | Czechoslovakia | ČZ | 2 | 0 |
| = | Bill Maddrick | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 2 | 0 |
| = | Lo Simons | Netherlands | NSU | 2 | 0 |
| = | Alano Montanari | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 2 | 0 |
| = | Bob Brown | Australia | NSU | 2 | 0 |
| 17 | Jean-Pierre Bayle | France | NSU | 1 | 0 |
| = | Maurice Büla | Switzerland | NSU | 1 | 0 |
| = | Roland Heck | Germany | NSU | 1 | 0 |
| = | Jiří Koštíř | Czechoslovakia | ČZ | 1 | 0 |

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

| Pos. | Rider | Bike | MAN | NED | BEL | GER | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Carlo Ubbiali | MV Agusta | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 1 | 2 | 1$^F$ | 1 | 32 (46) |
| 2 | Romolo Ferri | Gilera | | | NC$^F$ | 1 | 2 | | 14 |
| 3 | Luigi Taveri | MV Agusta | | 2 | 4 | | | 4 | 12 |
| 4 | Tarquinio Provini | Mondial | | | | 3 | | 2$^F$ | 10 |
| 5 | Fortunato Libanori | MV Agusta | | | 2 | 4 | | | 9 |
| 6 | Marcelo Cama | Montesa | 2 | | | | | | 6 |
| 7 | August Hobl | DKW | | 3 | | 5 | | | 6 |
| 8 | Karl Hofmann | DKW | | 5 | 5 | | | 6 | 5 |
| 9 | Francisco Gonzalez | Montesa | 3 | | | | | | 4 |
| 9 | Pierre Monneret | Gilera | | | 3 | | | | 4 |
| 9 | Bill Webster | MV Agusta | | | | | 3 | | 4 |
| 9 | Renato Sartori | Mondial | | | | | | 3 | 4 |
| 13 | Cecil Sandford | Mondial | | 4 | | 6 | | | 4 |
| 14 | Enrico Sirera | Montesa | 4 | | | | | | 3 |
| 14 | Bill Maddrick | MV Agusta | | | | | 4 | | 3 |
| 16 | Dave Chadwick | LEF | 5 | | | | | | 2 |
| 16 | Frank Cope | MV Agusta | | | | | 5 | | 2 |
| 16 | Sandro Artusi | Ducati | | | | | | 5 | 2 |
| 19 | Vaclav Parus | ČZ | 6 | | | | | | 1 |
| 19 | František Bartoš | ČZ | | 6 | | | | | 1 |
| 19 | Johnny Grace | Montesa | | | 6 | | | | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | ESP | FRA | MAN | GER | 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 | MAN | NED | BEL | GER | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | MV Agusta | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 32 (46) |
| 2 | Gilera | | | 3 | 1 | 2 | | 18 |
| 3 | Mondial | | 4 | | 3 | | 2 | 13 |
| 4 | DKW | | 3 | 5 | 5 | | 6 | 9 |
| 5 | Montesa | 2 | | 6 | | | | 7 |
| 6 | LEF | 5 | | | | | | 2 |
| 6 | Ducati | | | | | | 5 | 2 |
| 8 | ČZ | 6 | 6 | | | | | 2 |
| Pos. | Constructor | MAN | NED | BEL | GER | ULS | NAT | Pts |

## Sources

* ↑ "GEOFF DUKE: FIRST GENTLEMAN OF RACING". Australian Motorcycle News. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
* ↑ "Geoff Duke would have been 100 years old today". www.speedweek.com. Retrieved 2023-11-07.