# 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 31st F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

## Season summary

A season of changing fortunes in the 500cc class saw American, Kenny Roberts capture his second crown in the face of the Suzuki-mounted opposition. In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini won every race in which he finished to take the championship. Angel Nieto dominated on a Minarelli to take his seventh world championship. Kork Ballington would repeat as double world champion in the 250cc and 350cc classes for Kawasaki.
Defending champion Roberts was injured in a pre-season test but came back to win round two in impressive fashion. His rivals also suffered from bad luck. Hartog breaking his arm in practice, Cecotto badly breaking his kneecap in Austria and Sheene suffering from mechanical failures. The 1979 British Grand Prix would be remembered as one of the greatest races of the modern era with Roberts beating Sheene to the finish line by three-hundredths of a second.
After an eleven-year absence from world championship racing, Honda returned to competition with the exotic, four-stroke NR500 ridden by riders Mick Grant and Takazumi Katayama at the British Grand Prix. The motorcycle featured an engine with oval-shaped cylinders as well as a monocoque chassis. Both bikes retired from the race, Grant crashing out on the first turn after the bike spilled oil onto his rear tire. Katayama retired on the seventh lap due to ignition problems.
The top riders boycotted the Belgian Grand Prix over safety issues showing their increasing dissatisfaction with the way the FIM conducted races. After several safety issues, the top riders banded together near the end of the year to announce that they would create a competing championship called the World Series. Although the series never got off the ground, the riders had flexed their political muscles and it forced the FIM to change the way they dealt with races and the riders themselves. The FIM announced an increase in prize money for the following year. This would mark the beginning of an era of increased professionalism in the sport.

## 1979 Grand Prix season calendar

| Round | Date | Race | Location | 50cc winner | 125cc winner | 250cc winner | 350cc winner | 500cc winner | Report |
| 1 | March 18 | Venezuelan Grand Prix | San Carlos | | Angel Nieto | Walter Villa | Carlos Lavado | Barry Sheene | Report |
| 2 | April 29 | Austrian Grand Prix | Salzburgring | | Angel Nieto | | Kork Ballington | Kenny Roberts | Report |
| 3 | May 6 | German Grand Prix | Hockenheimring | Gerhard Waibel | Angel Nieto | Kork Ballington | Jon Ekerold | Wil Hartog | Report |
| 4 | May 13 | Nations Grand Prix | Imola | Eugenio Lazzarini | Angel Nieto | Kork Ballington | Gregg Hansford | Kenny Roberts | Report |
| 5 | May 20 | Spanish Grand Prix | Jarama | Eugenio Lazzarini | Angel Nieto | Kork Ballington | Kork Ballington | Kenny Roberts | Report |
| 6 | June 10 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix | Rijeka | Eugenio Lazzarini | Angel Nieto | Graziano Rossi | Kork Ballington | Kenny Roberts | Report |
| 7 | June 23 | Dutch TT | Assen | Eugenio Lazzarini | Angel Nieto | Graziano Rossi | Gregg Hansford | Virginio Ferrari | Report |
| 8 | July 1 | Belgian Grand Prix | Spa-Francorchamps | Henk van Kessel | Barry Smith | Edi Stoellinger | | Dennis Ireland | Report |
| 9 | July 22 | Swedish Grand Prix | Karlskoga | | Pier Paolo Bianchi | Graziano Rossi | | Barry Sheene | Report |
| 10 | July 29 | Finnish Grand Prix | Imatra | | Ricardo Tormo | Kork Ballington | Gregg Hansford | Boet van Dulmen | Report |
| 11 | August 12 | British Grand Prix | Silverstone | | Angel Nieto | Kork Ballington | Kork Ballington | Kenny Roberts | Report |
| 12 | August 19 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix | Brno | | Guy Bertin | Kork Ballington | Kork Ballington | | Report |
| 13 | September 2 | French Grand Prix | Le Mans | Eugenio Lazzarini | Guy Bertin | Kork Ballington | Patrick Fernandez | Barry Sheene | Report |

## Final standings
### 500cc standings

| Place | Rider | Team | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Kenny Roberts | Yamaha USA | YZR500 | 113 | 5 |
| 2 | Virginio Ferrari | Nava Gallina-Suzuki | RG500 | 89 | 1 |
| 3 | Barry Sheene | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | 87 | 3 |
| 4 | Wil Hartog | Riemersma Racing | RG500 | 66 | 1 |
| 5 | Franco Uncini | Zago-Suzuki | RG500 | 51 | 0 |
| 6 | Boet van Dulmen | | RG500 | 50 | 1 |
| 7 | Jack Middelburg | | RG500 | 42 | 0 |
| 8 | Randy Mamola | Zago-Suzuki | RG500 | 29 | 0 |
| 9 | Philippe Coulon | Frankonia Suzuki | RG500 | 29 | 0 |
| 10 | Tom Herron | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | 28 | 0 |
| 11 | Christian Sarron | Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha | YZR500 | 26 | |
| 12 | Steve Parrish | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | 19 | |
| 13 | Mike Baldwin | Zago-Suzuki | RG500 | 17 | |
| 14 | Dennis Ireland | Derry's Racing | RG500 | 17 | 1 |
| 15 | Michel Rougerie | Ecurie Ste Pernod | RG500 | 16 | |
| 16 | Bernard Fau | Suzuki-France | RG500 | 13 | |
| 17 | Kenny Blake | | YZR500/RG500 | 12 | |
| 18 | Marco Lucchinelli | | RG500 | 11 | |
| 19 | Gary Lingham | | RG500 | 10 | |
| 20 | Johnny Cecotto | Venemotos-Yamaha | YZR500 | 10 | |
| 21 | Gustav Reiner | Dieter Braun Team | RG500 | 8 | |
| 22 | Hiroyuki Kawasaki | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | 6 | |
| 23 | Henk De Vries | Team 77 | RG500 | 6 | |
| 24 | Gerhard Vogt | Bill Smith Racing | RG500 | 6 | |
| 25 | Roberto Pietri | | RG500 | 5 | |
| 26 | Sepp Hage | Dieter Braun Team | RG500 | 5 | |
| 27 | Jacky Matagne | | RG500 | 4 | |
| 28 | Max Wiener | | RG500 | 4 | |
| 29 | Ikujiro Takai | Yamaha International | YZR500 | 3 | |
| 30 | Carlo Perugini | | RG500 | 3 | |
| 31 | Sergio Pellandini | | RG500 | 2 | |
| 32 | Guy Cooremans | | RG500 | 2 | |
| 33 | Graziano Rossi | Morbidelli | | 2 | |
| 34 | John Woodley | | RG500 | 2 | |
| 35 | Peter Sjostrom | Ava MC Stockholm | RG500 | 1 | |
| 36 | Seppo Rossi | Kouv MK | RG500 | 1 | |
| 37 | Dieter Heinen | | RG500 | 1 | |
| 38 | Mick Grant | Honda-HRC | RG500/NR500 | 1 | |
| 39 | John Newbold | Team Appleby Glade | RG500 | 1 | |
| 40 | Gianni Pelletier | | RG500 | 1 | |

### 350cc standings

| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Kork Ballington | 1 | South Africa | Kawasaki | 99 | 5 |
| 2 | Patrick Fernandez | | France | Yamaha | 90 | 1 |
| 3 | Gregg Hansford | 3 | Australia | Kawasaki | 77 | 3 |
| 4 | Anton Mang | 16 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 63 | 0 |
| 5 | Michel Frutschi | | Switzerland | Yamaha | 47 | 0 |
| 6 | Michel Rougerie | 6 | France | Yamaha | 47 | 0 |
| 7 | Roland Freymond | 27 | Switzerland | Yamaha | 40 | 0 |
| 8 | Jon Ekerold | 4 | South Africa | Yamaha | 34 | 1 |
| 9 | Sadao Asami | | Japan | Yamaha | 27 | 0 |
| 10 | Jeff Sayle | | Australia | Yamaha | 24 | 0 |
| 11 | Pekka Nurmi | | | | 23 | |
| 12 | Penti Korhonen | | | | 17 | |
| 13 | Christian Estrosi | | | | 16 | |
| 14 | Carlos Lavado | | | | 15 | |
| 15 | Patrick Pons | | | | 12 | |
| 16 | Eric Saul | | | | 10 | |
| 17 | Michel Rougerie | | | | 10 | |
| 18 | Richard Hubin | | | | 9 | |
| 19 | Herve Guilleux | | | | 8 | |
| 20 | Olivier Chevallier | | | | 8 | |
| 21 | Victor Soussan | | | | 8 | |
| 22 | Graeme McGregor | | | | 5 | |
| 23 | Murray Sayle | | | | 5 | |
| 24 | Eddy Elias | | | | 4 | |
| 25 | Bengt Elgh | | | | 4 | |
| 26 | Paolo Pileri | | | | 4 | |
| 27 | Edi Stoellinger | | | | 4 | |
| 28 | Reinhold Roth | | | | 3 | |
| 29 | Tony Head | | | | 3 | |
| 30 | Klaas Hernamdt | | | | 3 | |
| 31 | Victor Palomo | | | | 3 | |
| 32 | Eero Hyvärinen | | | | 3 | |
| 33 | Alan North | | | | 3 | |
| 34 | Adelio Faccioli | | | | 2 | |
| 35 | Joey Dunlop | | | | 2 | |
| 36 | Yoshimi Matsumoto | | | | 2 | |
| 37 | Gianfranco Bonera | | | | 2 | |
| 38 | Max Wiener | | | | 1 | |

### 250cc standings

| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Kork Ballington | 1 | South Africa | Kawasaki | 141 | 7 |
| 2 | Gregg Hansford | 2 | Australia | Kawasaki | 81 | 0 |
| 3 | Graziano Rossi | 46 | Italy | Morbidelli | 67 | 3 |
| 4 | Randy Mamola | | United States | Yamaha | 64 | 0 |
| 5 | Patrick Fernandez | 3 | France | Yamaha | 63 | 0 |
| 6 | Anton Mang | 5 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 56 | 0 |
| 7 | Walter Villa | 16 | Italy | Yamaha | 39 | 1 |
| 8 | Jean-François Baldé | 13 | France | Kawasaki | 29 | 0 |
| 9 | Edi Stoellinger | | Austria | Kawasaki | 28 | 1 |
| 10 | Roland Freymond | 22 | Switzerland | Yamaha | 22 | 0 |
| 11 | Olivier Chevallier | | | | 22 | |
| 12 | Christian Estrosi | | | | 19 | |
| 13 | Chas Mortimer | | | | 14 | |
| 14 | Paolo Pileri | | | | 14 | |
| 15 | Graeme McGregor | | | | 14 | |
| 16 | Barry Ditchburn | | | | 13 | |
| 17 | Victor Soussan | | | | 11 | |
| 18 | Eric Saul | | | | 11 | |
| 19 | M.Sayle | | | | 10 | |
| 20 | Fernando Gonzales de N. | | | | 9 | |
| 21 | Penti Korhonen | | | | 9 | |
| 22 | Jon Ekerold | | | | 8 | |
| 23 | Richard Hubin | | | | 7 | |
| 24 | Guy Bertin | | | | 6 | |
| 25 | Michel Simeon | | | | 5 | |
| 26 | Jeffrey Sayle | | | | 4 | |
| 27 | Hans Müller | | | | 4 | |
| 28 | Massimo Matteoni | | | | 3 | |
| 29 | Maurizio Massimiani | | | | 3 | |
| 30 | Pekka Nurmi | | | | 3 | |
| 31 | J.Lazo | | | | 3 | |
| 32 | B.Elgh | | | | 2 | |
| 33 | Y.Matsumoto | | | | 2 | |
| 34 | Eero Hyvärinen | | | | 1 | |
| 35 | Tony Head | | | | 1 | |
| 36 | Sadao Asami | | | | 1 | |
| 37 | Thierry Espié | | | | 1 | |
| 38 | Alan North | | | | 1 | |
| 39 | Rinus Van Kasteren | | | | 1 | |

### 125cc standings

| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Angel Nieto | 2 | Spain | Minarelli | 120 | 8 |
| 2 | Maurizio Massimiani | 6 | Italy | MBA | 53 | 0 |
| 3 | Hans Müller | 7 | Switzerland | MBA | 50 | 0 |
| 4 | Thierry Espié | 5 | France | Motobécane | 48 | 0 |
| 5 | Gert Bender | | West Germany | GB Bender | 47 | 0 |
| 6 | Guy Bertin | | France | Motobécane | 40 | 2 |
| 7 | Ricardo Tormo | 8 | Spain | Bultaco | 39 | 1 |
| 8 | Harald Bartol | 4 | Austria | Morbidelli | 36 | 0 |
| 9 | Bruno Kneubühler | | Switzerland | MBA | 36 | 0 |
| 10 | Pier Paolo Bianchi | 3 | Italy | Minarelli | 35 | 1 |
| 11 | Stefan Dörflinger | | | | 35 | |
| 12 | Barry Smith | | | | | |
| 13 | Walter Koschine | | | | 25 | |
| 14 | August Auinger | | | | 25 | |
| 15 | Eugenio Lazzarini | | | | 22 | |
| 16 | Jean Louis Guignabodet | | | | 20 | |
| 17 | Matti Kinnunen | | | | 19 | |
| 18 | Patrick Herouard | | | | 18 | |
| 19 | Marcelino Garcia | | | | 17 | |
| 20 | Thierry Noblesse | | | | 16 | |
| 21 | Per-Edward Carlson | | | | 14 | |
| 22 | Jean Francois Lecureux | | | | 12 | |
| 23 | Patrick Plisson | | | | 12 | |
| 24 | Martin Van Soest | | | | 10 | |
| 25 | Gianpaolo Marchetti | | | | 10 | |
| 26 | Rolf Blatter | | | | 8 | |
| 27 | Peter Looijesteijn | | | | 8 | |
| 28 | Clive Horton | | | | 7 | |
| 29 | Francois Granon | | | | 7 | |
| 30 | Stefan Janssen | | | | 7 | |
| 31 | Ivan Troisi | | | | 5 | |
| 32 | Paul Bordes | | | | 5 | |
| 33 | Pierluigi Conforti | | | | 4 | |
| 34 | Anton Straver | | | | 4 | |
| 35 | Peter Balaz | | | | 3 | |
| 36 | Jean Paul Magnoni | | | | 2 | |
| 37 | Alfred Waibel | | | | 2 | |
| 38 | Stefano Ferretti | | | | 2 | |
| 39 | Henk van Kessel | | | | 2 | |
| 40 | Jan Huberts | | | | 2 | |
| 41 | Marc Antoine Constantin | | | | 2 | |
| 42 | Miguel Cortes | | | | 1 | |
| 43 | Fernando Gonzales de N. | | | | 1 | |
| 44 | Renè Renier | | | | 1 | |
| 45 | Johnny Wickstroem | | | | 1 | |

### 50cc standings

| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
| 1 | Eugenio Lazzarini | 2 | Italy | Kreidler | 75 | 5 |
| 2 | Rolf Blatter | 5 | Switzerland | Kreidler | 62 | 0 |
| 3 | Patrick Plisson | 3 | France | ABF | 32 | 0 |
| 4 | Gerhard Waibel | | West Germany | Kreidler | 31 | 1 |
| 5 | Peter Looijensteijn | 8 | Netherlands | Kreidler | 30 | 0 |
| 6 | Hagen Klein | 17 | West Germany | Kreidler | 26 | 0 |
| 7 | Henk van Kessel | 12 | Netherlands | Sparta | 23 | 1 |
| 8 | Jacques Hutteau | | France | Kreidler | 27 | 0 |
| 9 | Ingo Emmerich | | West Germany | Kreidler | 8 | 0 |
| 10 | Stefan Dörflinger | | Switzerland | Kreidler | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | Rainer Scheidhauer | | | | 17 | |
| 12 | Theo Timmer | | | | 16 | |
| 13 | Aldo Pero | | | | 16 | |
| 14 | Rudolf Kunz | | | | 13 | |
| 15 | E.Saffioti | | | | 10 | |
| 16 | Wolfgang Müller | | | | 9 | |
| 17 | Ricardo Tormo | | | | 6 | |
| 18 | Enrico Cereda | | | | 5 | |
| 19 | Joaquim Gali | | | | 5 | |
| 20 | Daniel Mateos | | | | 4 | |
| 21 | M.Servadio | | | | 4 | |
| 22 | Graham Singer | | | | 4 | |
| 23 | P.Verbic | | | | 3 | |
| 24 | Theo Van Geffen | | | | 3 | |
| 25 | R.Oosting | | | | 2 | |
| 26 | Claudio Granata | | | | 2 | |
| 27 | Hans Hummel | | | | 2 | |
| 28 | Cees Van Dongen | | | | 1 | |
| 29 | D.Priori | | | | 1 | |
| 30 | Gerrit Strikker | | | | 1 | |