# 1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fifth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 12 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 4 October.

## 1953 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Sidecars 500cc winner | Report |
| 1 | 12 June | Isle of Man TT | Snaefell Mountain | Leslie Graham | Fergus Anderson | Ray Amm | Ray Amm | | Report |
| 2 | 27 June | Dutch TT | Assen | Werner Haas | Werner Haas | Enrico Lorenzetti | Geoff Duke | | Report |
| 3 | 5 July | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | | | Fergus Anderson | Alfredo Milani | Oliver / Dibben | Report |
| 4 | 19 July | German Grand Prix | Schottenring | Carlo Ubbiali | Werner Haas | Carlo Bandirola † | Walter Zeller † | | Report |
| 5 | 2 August | French Grand Prix | Rouen-Les-Essarts | | | Fergus Anderson | Geoff Duke | Oliver / Dibben | Report |
| 6 | 15 August | Ulster Grand Prix | Dundrod | Werner Haas | Reg Armstrong | Ken Mudford | Ken Kavanagh | Smith / Nutt | Report |
| 7 | 23 August | Swiss Grand Prix | Bremgarten | | Reg Armstrong | Fergus Anderson | Geoff Duke | Oliver / Dibben | Report |
| 8 | 6 September | Nations Grand Prix | Monza | Werner Haas | Enrico Lorenzetti | Enrico Lorenzetti | Geoff Duke | Oliver / Dibben | Report |
| 9 | 4 October | Spanish Grand Prix | Montjuïc | Angelo Copeta | Enrico Lorenzetti | | Fergus Anderson | | Report |
† After pronouncing the track unsafe before practice had begun, all the factory teams withdrew from the 350cc and 500cc classes in the proposed German Grand Prix. The event continued, but with the agreement that these two classes were only counted as an ordinary international event.

## Standings
### Scoring system

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

### 500cc final standings

| Pos | Rider | Machine | MAN | HOL | BEL | FRA | ULS | SUI | NAC | ESP | Pts |
| 1 | Geoff Duke | Gilera | Ret | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | DNS | 38 |
| 2 | Reg Armstrong | Gilera | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 24 (30) |
| 3 | Alfredo Milani | Gilera | Ret | Ret | 1 | 3 | Ret | 2 | | | 18 |
| 4 | Ken Kavanagh | Norton / Moto Guzzi | Ret | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | Ret | | Ret | 18 |
| 5 | Ray Amm | Norton | 1 | Ret | 2 | DNS | | | | | 14 |
| 6 | Jack Brett | Norton | 2 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 3 | Ret | | | 13 |
| 7 | Dickie Dale | Gilera | Ret | Ret | 6 | 8 | | 7 | 2 | 3 | 11 |
| 8 | Giuseppe Colnago | Gilera | | 4 | Ret | 5 | | 4 | | 4 | 11 |
| 9 | Fergus Anderson | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | 7 | | | | Ret | 1 | 8 |
| 10 | Rod Coleman | AJS / Norton | 4 | Ret | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | | Ret | 7 |
| 11 | Carlo Bandirola | MV Agusta | Ret | | | | | | Ret | 2 | 6 |
| 12 | Libero Liberati | Gilera | | | | | | | 3 | Ret | 4 |
| 13 | Bill Doran | AJS | 5 | 6 | 11 | | | | | | 3 |
| 14 | Derek Farrant | Matchless / AJS | Ret | | | | 5 | 6 | | | 3 |
| 15 | Nello Pagani | Gilera | | | | | | 9 | 7 | 5 | 2 |
| 16 | Cecil Sandford | MV Agusta | | | | | | | 5 | Ret | 2 |
| 17 | Ken Mudford | Norton | Ret | Ret | 14 | | 6 | | | Ret | 1 |
| 18 | Tommy Wood | Norton | | | Ret | Ret | | | | 6 | 1 |
| 19 | Hermann Paul Müller | Horex / MV Agusta | | | | | | Ret | 6 | | 1 |
| 20 | Peter Davey | Norton | 6 | | | | | | | | 1 |
| 21 | Walter Zeller | BMW | Ret | 7 | | | | 8 | Ret | | 0 |
| 22 | Javier de Ortueta | Norton | | | | | | | | 7 | 0 |
| = | Ted Frend | Norton | 7 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 24 | Robin Sherry | AJS | 8 | Ret | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| 25 | Piet Bakker | Norton | | 8 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Louis Carter | Norton | | | | | 8 | | | | 0 |
| = | Antonio Creus | Norton | | | | | | | | 8 | 0 |
| = | Bruno Francisi | MV Agusta | | | | | | | 8 | DNS | 0 |
| 29 | Auguste Goffin | Norton | | | 10 | Ret | | | | 9 | 0 |
| = | Harry Pearce | Matchless | 9 | | Ret | | 10 | | | | 0 |
| 31 | Pierre Monneret | AJS / Gilera | | | | 12 | | | 9 | Ret | 0 |
| 32 | Charlie Salt | BSA | 16 | | | | 9 | | | | 0 |
| 33 | Pierre Cherrier | Norton | | | | 9 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Léon Martin | Gilera | | | 9 | | | | | | 0 |
| 35 | John Storr | Norton | | | Ret | | | Ret | 10 | | 0 |
| 36 | Hans Baltisberger | BMW | | | | | | 10 | | Ret | 0 |
| = | John Grace | Norton | 10 | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| 38 | Robin Fitton | Norton | | | | 10 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Alfredo Flores | Norton | | | | | | | | 10 | 0 |
| = | Geoff Read | Norton | | 10 | | | | | | | 0 |
| 41 | Keith Bryen | Norton | Ret | 11 | 18 | | | | | | 0 |
| 42 | Laurie Boulter | Norton | 11 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Leslie Dear | Norton | | | | | 11 | | | | 0 |
| = | Enrico Galante | Norton | | | | | | | 11 | | 0 |
| = | Sidney Mason | Norton | | | | 11 | | | | | 0 |
| = | Heer Meyer | BMW | | | | | | 11 | | | 0 |
| = | Heinz Thorn-Prikker | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | | | 11 | 0 |
| 48 | Leo Simpson | Matchless / AJS | Ret | Ret | 12 | Ret | | | Ret | | 0 |
| 49 | Jost Albisser | Norton | | | | Ret | | 12 | Ret | | 0 |
| 50 | Felice Benasedo | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | | 12 | | 0 |
| = | Ken Harwood | AJS | | | | | 12 | | | | 0 |
| = | Frank Norris | Norton | 12 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Priem Rozenberg | Matchless | | 12 | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Siegfried Wünsche | DKW | | | | | | | | 12 | 0 |
| 55 | Arthur Wheeler | Matchless | Ret | Ret | 13 | | 15 | | | | 0 |
| 56 | Jack Bailey | Norton | 20 | | | | 13 | | | | 0 |
| 57 | Joe Glazebrook | Norton | 22 | | | | | | | 13 | 0 |
| 58 | Lodweijk Simons | Matchless | | 13 | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| 59 | B. Botta | Norton | | | | | | 13 | | | 0 |
| = | Lodovico Facchinelli | Gilera | | | | | | | 13 | | 0 |
| = | Eric Houseley | Norton | 13 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 62 | Ray Laurent | Norton | 15 | 9 | | | | | 14 | | 0 |
| 63 | Malcolm Templeton | Matchless | 14 | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| = | Leonard Williams | Norton | Ret | | | | 14 | | | | 0 |
| 65 | Florian Camathias | BMW | | | | | | 14 | | DNS | 0 |
| 66 | Keith Campbell | Norton | | | 15 | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| = | Arthur Feen | Norton | | | | | | 15 | | | 0 |
| = | Antonio Ronchei | Gilera | | | | | | | 15 | | 0 |
| 69 | Charlie Gray | AJS | 27 | | | | 16 | | | | 0 |
| 70 | Roger Laurent | Norton | | | 16 | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Henri Vidonne | Norton | | | | | 16 | | | | 0 |
| 71 | Sparky Campbell | Norton | Ret | Ret | | | 17 | | | | 0 |
| 72 | Charles Bruguiere | Norton | | Ret | 17 | | | | | | 0 |
| 73 | Eric Pantlin | Norton | 17 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Karl Rührschneck | Norton | | | | | | 17 | | | 0 |
| 75 | Nick Nicholson | Norton | 18 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Ernie Oliver | Norton | | | | | 18 | | | | 0 |
| 77 | Bill Beevers | Norton | 19 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Reg MacDonald | AJS | | | | | 19 | | | | 0 |
| = | Andrè Wuyts | Norton | | | 19 | | | | | | 0 |
| 80 | Jimmy Hayes | AJS | | | | | 20 | | | | 0 |
| 81 | Ken Swallow | AJS / Norton | Ret | | | | 21 | | | | 0 |
| 82 | Les Dear | Norton | 21 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 83 | Rally Dean | Norton | Ret | Ret | | | 22 | | | | 0 |
| 84 | George Scott | AJS | 23 | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| 85 | Robert Browne | AJS | | | | | 23 | | | | 0 |
| 86 | Zachary Dean | Norton | 35 | Ret | | | 24 | | | | 0 |
| 87 | Peter Carter | Matchless | 24 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 88 | Ray Travers | Norton | 25 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| = | Stanley Williamson | Norton | | | | | 25 | | | | 0 |
| 90 | Fred Pusey | Norton | | | | | 26 | | | | 0 |
| = | Roy Walker | Norton | 26 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 92 | Jackie Joseph Wood | Norton | | | | | 27 | | | | 0 |
| 93 | Eric Hardy | AJS | 28 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 94 | Kel Prince | AJS | 29 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 95 | Sid Franklen | AJS | 30 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 96 | Luis Gilbert | AJS | 31 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 97 | Llewelyn Ranson | AJS | 32 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 98 | John Fisher | AJS | 33 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 99 | Bob McDonald | AJS | 34 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| 100 | Jack Harding | Norton | 36 | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Tony McAlpine | Norton | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Harold Clark | Matchless / Norton | Ret | Ret | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Enrico Lorenzetti | Moto Guzzi | | Ret | Ret | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Peter Murphy | Matchless | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ernie Ring | Matchless / AJS | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Friedel Schön | Horex | | Ret | Ret | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | Barry Stormont | Norton | Ret | Ret | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Fritz Kläger | Horex | | | Ret | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Georges Monneret | Gilera / Matchless | | | | Ret | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Humphrey Ranson | Norton | | Ret | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Barde | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| – | Syd Barnett | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ernie Barrett | Phoenix-JAP | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Francis Basso | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Carletto Bellotti | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | | 0 |
| – | George Brown | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Georges Burgaff | Norton | | | | Ret | | | | | 0 |
| – | John Clark | AJS | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | John Cooper | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Archie Fenn | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Giulio Galbiati | Moto Guzzi | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Martino Giani | MV Agusta | | | | | | DNS | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Leslie Graham | MV Agusta | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Francesco Guglielminetti | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | William Hall | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Phil Heath | Matchless | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Robert Herbert | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | August Hobl | DKW | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Karl Hoffman | DKW | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Kuno Johansson | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Cyril Julian | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Rudolf Knees | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Dick Knox | Norton | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| – | Gordon Laing | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | George Leigh | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Umberto Masetti | Gilera | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Bob Matthews | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Alexander Mayer | Norton | | | | | | Ret | | DNS | 0 |
| – | Tommy McEwan | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Bob McIntyre | Matchless | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| – | John McKay | Triumph | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | George Morgan | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Mike O'Rourke | Matchless | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Fred Passmore | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Jacques Raffeld | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Bob Rowbottom | AJS | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Ron Rudge | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Simon Sandys-Winsch | Norton | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Roland Schnell | Horex | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Emilio Soprani | Gilera | | | | | | | | Ret | 0 |
| – | Sven Sørensen | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Leo Starr | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Henk Steman | Matchless | | Ret | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Edouard Texidor | Norton | | | Ret | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Harry Turner | Norton | | | | | Ret | | | | 0 |
| – | Geoff Walker | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Sid Willis | Norton | | | | | | | Ret | | 0 |
| – | Vic Willoughby | Norton | Ret | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Tito Forconi | MV Agusta | | | | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| – | Juan Leal | Norton | | | | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| – | Albert Moule | Norton | DNS | | | | | | | | 0 |
| – | Leonard Parry | DKW | | | | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| – | Bill Petch | Norton | | | | | | | | DNS | 0 |
| Pos | Rider | Bike | MAN | HOL | BEL | FRA | ULS | SUI | NAC | ESP | 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 | Fergus Anderson | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 34 | 3 |
| 2 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 26 | 2 |
| 3 | Ray Amm | Southern Rhodesia | Norton | 18 | 1 |
| 4 | Ken Kavanagh | Australia | Norton | 18 | 0 |
| 5 | Jack Brett | United Kingdom | Norton | 12 | 0 |
| 6 | Rod Coleman | New Zealand | AJS | 9 | 0 |
| 7 | Ken Mudford | New Zealand | Norton | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Bob McIntyre | United Kingdom | AJS | 6 | 0 |
| = | Pierre Monneret | France | AJS | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Duilio Agostini | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | August Hobl | Germany | DKW | 3 | 0 |
| = | Josef Albisser | Switzerland | Norton | 3 | 0 |
| = | Harry Pearce | United Kingdom | Velocette | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | Bill Doran | United Kingdom | AJS | 3 | 0 |
| = | Derek Farrant | United Kingdom | AJS | 3 | 0 |
| 16 | Tommy Wood | United Kingdom | Norton | 2 | 0 |
| = | Ernie Ring | Austria | AJS | 2 | 0 |
| = | Leo Simpson | New Zealand | AJS | 2 | 0 |
| = | Malcolm Templeton | United Kingdom | AJS | 2 | 0 |
| 20 | Karl Hoffman | Germany | DKW | 1 | 0 |
| = | Ray Laurent | New Zealand | Norton | 1 | 0 |
| = | Ken Harwood | United Kingdom | AJS | 1 | 0 |
| = | Tony McAlpine | Australia | Norton | 1 | 0 |

### 250cc Standings

| Place | Rider | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Werner Haas | Germany | NSU | 28 | 2 |
| 2 | Reg Armstrong | United Kingdom | NSU | 23 | 2 |
| 3 | Enrico Lorenzetti | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 22 | 2 |
| 4 | Fergus Anderson | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 22 | 1 |
| 5 | Alano Montanari | Italy | Moto Guzzi | 19 | 0 |
| 6 | Ken Kavanagh | Australia | Moto Guzzi | 6 | 0 |
| 7 | Siegfried Wünsche | Germany | DKW | 6 | 0 |
| 8 | August Hobl | Germany | DKW | 6 | 0 |
| 9 | Otto Daiker | Germany | NSU | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Arthur Wheeler | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | Walter Reichert | Germany | NSU | 3 | 0 |
| 12 | Tommy Wood | United Kingdom | Moto Guzzi | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Wolfgang Brandt | Germany | NSU | 2 | 0 |
| = | Sid Willis | Australia | Velocette | 2 | 0 |
| 15 | Umberto Masetti | Italy | NSU | 1 | 0 |
| = | Rupert Hollaus | Austria | Moto Guzzi | 1 | 0 |

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

| Pos. | Rider | Bike | MAN | NED | GER | ULS | NAT | ESP | Pts |
| 1 | Werner Haas | NSU | 2 | 1$^F$ | 2$^F$ | 1$^F$ | 1$^F$ | | 30 (36) |
| 2 | Cecil Sandford | MV Agusta | 3 | 3 | | 2 | | 2 | 20 |
| 3 | Carlo Ubbiali | MV Agusta | | 2 | 1 | | 3 | NC$^F$ | 18 |
| 4 | Angelo Copeta | MV Agusta | 4 | | 4 | | 4 | 1 | 17 |
| 5 | Leslie Graham | MV Agusta | 1$^F$ | | | | | | 8 |
| 6 | Otto Daiker | NSU | | | 3 | 4 | | | 7 |
| 7 | Emilio Mendogni | Morini | | | | | 2 | | 6 |
| 8 | Wolfgang Brandt | NSU | | | | | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| 9 | Reg Armstrong | NSU | | | 3 | | | | 4 |
| 9 | Rupert Hollaus | NSU | | | | | | 3 | 4 |
| 11 | Luigi Zinzani | Morini | | 4 | | | | | 3 |
| 12 | Arnold Jones | MV Agusta | 5 | | | | | | 2 |
| 12 | Drikus Veer | Morini | | 5 | | | | | 2 |
| 12 | Walter Reichert | NSU | | | 5 | | | | 2 |
| 12 | Tito Forconi | MV Agusta | | | | 5 | | | 2 |
| 12 | Marcelo Cama | Montesa | | | | | | 5 | 2 |
| 17 | Bill Webster | MV Agusta | 6 | | | | | | 1 |
| 17 | Lo Simons | MV Agusta | | 6 | | | | | 1 |
| 17 | Karl Lottes | MV Agusta | | | 6 | | | | 1 |
| 17 | Fron Purslow | MV Agusta | | | | 6 | | | 1 |
| 17 | Paolo Campanelli | MV Agusta | | | | | 6 | | 1 |
| 17 | Georg Braun | Mondial | | | | | | 6 | 1 |
| Pos. | Rider | Bike | MAN | NED | GER | ULS | NAT | ESP | 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.
As MV Agusta and NSU had equal number of points, identical ranks obtained in all races, and equal number of races in which they classified, their finishing time in each of the six races was added up. MV Agusta's total time is 36.1 seconds quicker than NSU's total time, and was declared the constructors' champion.
| Pos. | Constructor | MAN | NED | GER | ULS | NAT | ESP | Pts |
| 1 | MV Agusta | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 30 (40) |
| 4 | NSU | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 30 (40) |
| 3 | Morini | | 4 | | | 2 | | 9 |
| 4 | Montesa | | | | | | 5 | 2 |
| 5 | Mondial | | 6 | | | | 6 | 2 |
| Pos. | Constructor | MAN | NED | GER | ULS | NAT | ESP | Pts |