1979 French motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1979 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the last round of the 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 31 August–2 September 1979 at the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.

  1979 French Grand Prix

Race details
Race 13 of 13 races in the 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	2 September 1979
Official name	Grand Prix de France
Location	Bugatti Circuit
Course	Permanent racing facility 4.240 km (2.635 mi)
500 cc
Pole position Rider Kenny Roberts Time 1:38.130 Fastest lap Rider Virginio Ferrari Time 1:37.900 Podium First Barry Sheene Second Randy Mamola Third Kenny Roberts
350 cc
Pole position Rider Kork Ballington Time 1:40.750 Fastest lap Rider Éric Saul Podium First Patrick Fernandez Second Roland Freymond Third Walter Villa
250 cc
Pole position Rider Gregg Hansford Time 1:43.530 Fastest lap Rider Kork Ballington Time 1:43.600 Podium First Kork Ballington Second Gregg Hansford Third Patrick Fernandez
125 cc
Pole position Rider Guy Bertin Time 1:50.300 Fastest lap Rider Ángel Nieto Time 1:49.700 Podium First Guy Bertin Second Ricardo Tormo Third Pier Paolo Bianchi
50 cc
Pole position Rider Ricardo Tormo Time 2:02.560 Fastest lap Rider Stefan Dörflinger Podium First Eugenio Lazzarini Second Stefan Dörflinger Third Rolf Blatter

Classification

500 cc

Pos.	Rider	Team	Manufacturer	Time/Retired	Points
1	Barry Sheene	Texaco Heron Team Suzuki	Suzuki	48'06.800	15
2	Randy Mamola	Serge Zago	Suzuki	+2.400	12
3	Kenny Roberts	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	+13.890	10
4	Franco Uncini	Team Zago International	Suzuki	+19.710	8
5	Johnny Cecotto	Yamaha Motor Company	Yamaha	+20.020	6
6	Philippe Coulon		Suzuki	+20.660	5
7	Steve Parrish	Texaco Heron Team Suzuki	Suzuki	+56.320	4
8	Michel Rougerie		Suzuki	+45.200	3
9	John Woodley		Suzuki	+1 lap	2
10	Peter Sjöström	Ava MC Stockholm	Suzuki	+1 lap	1
11	Seppo Rossi	Kouv MK	Suzuki	+1 lap
12	Henk de Vries	Team 77	Suzuki	+1 lap
13	Hervé Guilleux		Buton	+1 lap
14	Gianni Rolando	Scuderia Naldoni	Suzuki	+2 laps
15	Roberto Pietri		Suzuki	+2 laps
16	Gerhard Vogt	Bill Smith Racing	Suzuki	+2 laps
17	Alain Rothlisberger		Suzuki	+3 laps
18	Wil Hartog	Riemersma Racing	Suzuki	+7 laps
19	Willem Zoet	Stimorol Racing	Suzuki	+7 laps
20	Michel Rastel	Dieter Braun Team	Suzuki	+8 laps
Ret	Virginio Ferrari	Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat	Suzuki	Accident
Ret	Boet Van Dulmen		Suzuki	Accident
Ret	Graziano Rossi	Morbidelli	Morbidelli	Retired
Ret	Leandro Becheroni		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Carlo Perugini		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Dennis Ireland	Derry's Racing	Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Lennart Backstrom		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Franck Gross		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Josef Hage	Dieter Braun Team	Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Borge Nielsen		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Sergio Pellandini		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Gianni Pelletier		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Gustav Reiner	Dieter Braun Team	Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Christian Sarron	Team Sonauto Gauloises	Yamaha	Retired
Ret	Max Wiener		Suzuki	Retired
Ret	Marco Lucchinelli		Suzuki	Retired
DNQ	Mick Grant	Honda International Racing	Honda	Did not qualify
DNQ	Takazumi Katayama	Honda International Racing	Honda	Did not qualify
DNQ	Carlos Delgado		Suzuki	Did not qualify
DNQ	Kenny Blake		Yamaha	Did not qualify
DNQ	Bo Granath		Yamaha	Did not qualify
DNQ	King Wong Kwong	Honda International Racing	Honda	Did not qualify
Sources: