# 1959 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1959 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 11th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of seven Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 17 May, with French Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix in Italy on 6 September.

## 1959 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Sidecars 500cc winner | Report |
| 1 | 17 May | French Grand Prix | Charade Circuit | | | John Surtees | John Surtees | Scheidegger/Burkhardt | Report |
| 2 | 6 June | Isle of Man TT | Snaefell Mountain | Tarquinio Provini | Tarquinio Provini | John Surtees | John Surtees | Schneider / Strauß | Report |
| 3 | 14 June | German Grand Prix | Hockenheimring | Carlo Ubbiali | Carlo Ubbiali | John Surtees | John Surtees | Camathias / Cecco | Report |
| 4 | 27 June | Dutch TT | TT Circuit Assen | Carlo Ubbiali | Tarquinio Provini | Bob Brown † | John Surtees | Camathias / Cecco | Report |
| 5 | 5 July | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | Carlo Ubbiali | Gary Hocking † | | John Surtees | Schneider / Strauß | Report |
| 6 | 26 July | Swedish Grand Prix | Råbelövsbanan | Tarquinio Provini | Gary Hocking | John Surtees | Bob Brown † | | Report |
| 7 | 8 August | Ulster Grand Prix | Dundrod Circuit | Mike Hailwood | Gary Hocking | John Surtees | John Surtees | | Report |
| 8 | 6 September | Nations Grand Prix†† | Monza | Ernst Degner | Carlo Ubbiali | John Surtees | John Surtees | | Report |
† Race did not count towards the World Championship.
†† The Nations Grand Prix also held a non-championship 175 cc race, won by the Italian, Francesco Villa.

## 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 | FRA | MAN | GER | HOL | BEL | ULS | NAC | Pts |
| 1 | John Surtees | MV Agusta | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 32 (56) |
| 2 | Remo Venturi | MV Agusta | 2 | | 2 | 3 | 5 | | 2 | 22 (24) |
| 3 | Bob Brown | Norton | 9 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 17 (22) |
| 4 | Geoff Duke | Norton | | | 9 | | 3 | 3 | 3 | 12 |
| 5 | Gary Hocking | Norton | 3 | | Ret | Ret | 2 | Ret | Ret | 10 |
| 6 | Bob McIntyre | Norton | | 5 | | | | 2 | | 8 |
| 7 | Alistair King | Norton | | 2 | | | | 6 | | 7 |
| 8 | Dickie Dale | BMW | 4 | Ret | Ret | 4 | 8 | 7 | Ret | 6 |
| 9 | Terry Shepherd | Norton | 5 | Ret | | | | 4 | | 5 |
| 10 | John Hempleman | Norton | 17 | | 5 | Ret | Ret | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| 11 | Derek Powell | Matchless | | 4 | | | | 14 | | 3 |
| 12 | Ken Kavanagh | Norton | | DNS | 4 | Ret | Ret | | | 3 |
| 13 | Paddy Driver | Norton | 6 | 6 | Ret | Ret | | Ret | 6 | 3 |
| 14 | Jim Redman | Norton | | Ret | Ret | 5 | 9 | Ret | Ret | 2 |
| 15 | Bob Anderson | Norton | 8 | Ret | | Ret | 6 | | | 1 |
| 16 | Ron Miles | Norton | | 12 | 12 | 6 | | 11 | | 1 |
| 17 | Alois Huber | BMW | | | 6 | | | | | 1 |
| 18 | Tom Phillis | Norton | 7 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | | 0 |
| 19 | Hans-Günter Jäger | BMW | 11 | | 10 | 7 | 16 | | 8 | 0 |
| 20 | Ernst Hiller | BMW | | | 8 | Ret | | | 7 | 0 |
| 21 | Geoff Tanner | Norton | Ret | | 7 | 9 | 11 | | | 0 |
| 22 | Alan Shepherd | Matchless | | 7 | | | | 9 | | 0 |
| 23 | George Catlin | Matchless | | 8 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Anton Elbersen | BMW | | | 8 | | | | | 0 |
| 25 | Ralph Rensen | Norton | 10 | 9 | | | | 10 | | 0 |
| 26 | Karl Untersteggaber | Norton | | | | | | | 9 | 0 |
| 27 | Derek Minter | Norton | | Ret | | Ret | 10 | | | 0 |
| = | Peter Pawson | Norton | | 10 | | Ret | | Ret | | 0 |
| 29 | Paolo Campanelli | Norton | | | | | | | 10 | 0 |
| 30 | Jacques Insermini | Norton | Ret | | | | | | 11 | 0 |
| = | Brian Setchell | Norton | | 11 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Evert Carlsson | BMW | | | 11 | | | | | 0 |
| 33 | Raymond Bogaerdt | Norton | | | | Ret | 12 | | | 0 |
| 34 | Jacques Collot | Norton | 12 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Vasco Loro | Norton | | | | | | | 12 | 0 |
| = | Stephen Murray | Matchless | | | | | | 12 | | 0 |
| 37 | Mike Hailwood | MV Agusta / Norton | | Ret | | | 13 | | Ret | 0 |
| = | Alfredo Milani | Gilera | | | | Ret | Ret | | 13 | 0 |
| 39 | Guy Ligier | Norton | 13 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Rudolf Gläser | Norton | | | 13 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Robin Fitton | Norton | Ret | | | | | 13 | | 0 |
| = | Bill Smith | Matchless | | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| 43 | Yvon Callede | Norton | | | 14 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ewan Haldane | Norton | | 14 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Charly Maubert | Norton | 14 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Jules Nies | Matchless | | | | | 14 | | | 0 |
| 47 | Don Chapman | Norton | | Ret | | | | 15 | | 0 |
| 48 | Maurice de Polo | Norton | 15 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Raymond Hanset | Norton | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| = | Bob Rowbottom | Norton | | 15 | | | | | | 0 |
| 51 | Tommy McLeod | Norton | | | | | | 16 | | 0 |
| = | Albert Montagne | Norton | 16 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 53 | Jean-Pierre Bayle | Norton | Ret | | Ret | | 17 | | | 0 |
| = | Stan Cameron | Matchless | | Ret | | | | 17 | | 0 |
| 55 | Joe Wright | Norton | | 17 | | | | | | 0 |
| 56 | Harry Grant | Norton / Matchless | | 18 | | | | 22 | | 0 |
| = | Jimmy Jones | Norton | | | | | | 18 | | 0 |
| 58 | William McCosh | Matchless | | | | | | 19 | | 0 |
| = | Fred Stevens | AJS | | 19 | | | | | | 0 |
| 60 | Martin Brosnan | Norton | | | | | | 20 | | 0 |
| = | Ed LaBelle | BMW | | 20 | | | | | | 0 |
| 62 | George Northwood | Norton | | 21 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Willie White | Norton | | | | | | 21 | | 0 |
| 64 | Vernon Cottle | Norton | | 22 | | | | | | 0 |
| 66 | Frank Gordon | Norton | | | | | | 23 | | 0 |
| 67 | Ernie Oliver | AJS | | | | | | 24 | | 0 |
| 68 | Jack Shannon | BSA | | | | | | 25 | | 0 |
| 69 | John Brown | Norton | | | | | | 26 | | 0 |
| - | Eric Hinton | Norton | | Ret | | | | Ret | Ret | 0 |
| - | Jimmy Buchan Jr | Norton | | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Jack Findlay | Norton | | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | John Hartle | MV Agusta | | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Llewelyn Ranson | Norton | | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Ernesto Brambilla | MV Agusta | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Brett | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Jack Bullock | Matchless | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Louis Carr | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Eric Cheers | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Artemio Cirelli | Gilera | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Barry Cortvriend | Matchless | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | George Costain | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Adolfo Covi | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Dick Creith | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Davy Crawford | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Bruce Daniels | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Bertie Farlow | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Ray Fay | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Peter Ferbrache | Matchless | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Bob Ferguson | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Ralph Fox | AJS | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Joe Glazebrook | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Roger Graham | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Owen Greenwood | Triumph | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Francesco Guglielminetti | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Tom Hesketh | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Tommy Holmes | BSA | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Roy Ingram | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Len Ireland | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Den Jarman | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Lothar John | BMW | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Host Kassner | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Luigi Marcelli | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Angus Martin | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Giuseppe Mantelli | Gilera | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Emanuele Maugliani | Gilera | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Robert McCracken | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Fritz Messerli | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Syd Mizen | Norton Dunstall | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Albert Moule | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Frank Perris | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Harry Plews | AJS | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Ladislaus Richter | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Bill Robertson | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Walter Scheimann | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| - | Toni Schmitz | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Ray Spence | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| - | Don Tickle | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| - | Alan Trow | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Dino Valbonesi | Gilera | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Michel Valentin | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Martinus van Son | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Roberto Vigorito | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| - | Arthur Wheeler | AJS | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Lewis Young | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| - | Benedetto Zambotti | Gilera | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | FRA | MAN | GER | HOL | BEL | 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 | John Surtees | United Kingdom | MV Agusta | 48 | 6 |
| 2 | John Hartle | United Kingdom | MV Agusta | 16 | 0 |
| 3 | Bob Brown | Australia | Norton | 14 | 0 |
| 4 | Gary Hocking | Rhodesia | Norton | 12 | 0 |
| 5 | Geoff Duke | United Kingdom | Norton | 10 | 0 |
| 6 | Remo Venturi | Italy | MV Agusta | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Dickie Dale | United Kingdom | AJS | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | John Hempleman | New Zealand | Norton | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Bob Anderson | United Kingdom | Norton | 5 | 0 |
| 10 | Alistair King | United Kingdom | Norton | 4 | 0 |
| = | Ernesto Brambilla | Italy | MV Agusta | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | Paddy Driver | South Africa | Norton | 4 | 0 |
| 13 | Mike Hailwood | United Kingdom | AJS | 2 | 0 |
| = | Tom Phillis | Australia | Norton | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | Jim Redman | Rhodesia | Norton | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Terry Shepherd | United Kingdom | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Dave Chadwick | United Kingdom | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Gilberto Milani | Italy | Norton | 1 | 0 |

### 250cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Carlo Ubbiali | Italy | MV Agusta | 28 | 2 |
| 2 | Tarquinio Provini | Italy | MV Agusta | 16 | 2 |
| = | Gary Hocking | Rhodesia | MZ | 16 | 2 |
| 4 | Ernst Degner | East Germany | MZ | 14 | 0 |
| 5 | Mike Hailwood | United Kingdom | Mondial | 13 | 0 |
| 6 | Emilio Mendogni | Italy | Morini | 10 | 0 |
| 7 | Derek Minter | United Kingdom | Morini | 7 | 0 |
| 8 | Tommy Robb | United Kingdom | GMS-MZ | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | Horst Fügner | East Germany | MZ | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Geoff Duke | United Kingdom | Benelli | 5 | 0 |
| 11 | Dave Chadwick | United Kingdom | MV Agusta | 4 | 0 |
| 12 | Libero Liberati | Italy | Morini | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Horst Kassner | West Germany | NSU | 2 | 0 |
| = | Phil Carter | United Kingdom | NSU | 2 | 0 |
| = | Luigi Taveri | Switzerland | MZ | 2 | 0 |
| 16 | Rudi Thalhammer | Austria | NSU | 1 | 0 |
| = | Dickie Dale | United Kingdom | Benelli | 1 | 0 |
| 18 | Günter Beer | West Germany | Adler | 1 | 0 |

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

| Pos. | Rider | Bike | MAN | GER | NED | BEL | SWE | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | Carlo Ubbiali | MV Agusta | 5 | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 1 | 2$^F$ | | 2$^F$ | 30 (38) |
| 2 | Tarquinio Provini | MV Agusta | 1 | 2 | | 2$^F$ | 1 | | 5 | 28 (30) |
| 3 | Mike Hailwood | Ducati | 3 | 3 | 3 | | 4 | 1$^F$ | | 20 (23) |
| 4 | Luigi Taveri | MZ | 2$^F$ | | | | | | | 14 |
| 4 | Luigi Taveri | Ducati | | | | 3 | | | 3 | 14 |
| 5 | Ernst Degner | MZ | | 6 | | | | 3 | 1 | 13 |
| 6 | Bruno Spaggiari | Ducati | | 5 | 2 | | | | | 8 |
| 7 | Derek Minter | MZ | | | 5 | 4 | | | 4 | 8 |
| 8 | Ken Kavanagh | Ducati | | | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | | 8 |
| 9 | Gary Hocking | MZ | | | | | | 2 | | 7 |
| 9 | Gary Hocking | MV Agusta | | | | | | | 6 | 7 |
| 10 | Horst Fügner | MZ | 4 | | 4 | | | | | 6 |
| 11 | Werner Musiol | MZ | | | | | 3 | | | 4 |
| 12 | Francesco Villa | Ducati | | 4 | | | | | | 3 |
| 13 | Alberto Pagani | Ducati | | | | | | 5 | | 2 |
| 14 | Naomi Taniguchi | Honda | 6 | | | | | | | 1 |
| 14 | Karl Kronmüller | Ducati | | | | 6 | | | | 1 |
| 14 | Ulf Svensson | Ducati | | | | | 6 | | | 1 |
| 14 | Arthur Wheeler | Ducati | | | | | | 6 | | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | MAN | GER | NED | BEL | SWE | ULS | 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 | GER | NED | BEL | SWE | ULS | NAT | Pts |
| 1 | MV Agusta | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | 2 | 32 (46) |
| 2 | MZ | 2 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 24 (31) |
| 3 | Ducati | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 22 (33) |
| 4 | Honda | 6 | | | | | | | 1 |
| Pos. | Constructor | MAN | GER | NED | BEL | SWE | ULS | NAT | Pts |