Wikipedia

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.

John Surtees (pictured in 1958) won all races to retain his 350cc and 500cc World Championship title.
Carlo Ubbiali (pictured in 1956) successfully defended his 125cc World Championship title. He also became the 250cc World Champion in 1959.

1959 Grand Prix season calendar edit

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 edit

Scoring system edit

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 edit

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
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings edit

Place Rider Number 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 edit

Place Rider Number 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 Standings edit

Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1   Carlo Ubbiali Italy MV Agusta 30 3
2   Tarquinio Provini Italy MV Agusta 28 2
3   Mike Hailwood United Kingdom Ducati 20 1
4   Luigi Taveri Switzerland MZ / Ducati 14 0
5   Ernst Degner East Germany MZ 13 1
6   Bruno Spaggiari Italy Ducati 8 0
7   Derek Minter United Kingdom MZ 8 0
8   Ken Kavanagh Australia Ducati 8 0
9   Gary Hocking Rhodesia MZ / MV Agusta 7 0
10   Horst Fügner East Germany MZ 6 0
11   Werner Musiol East Germany MZ 4 0
12   Francesco Villa Italy Ducati 3 0
13   Alberto Pagani Italy Ducati 2 0
14   Naomi Taniguchi Japan Honda 1 0
=   Karl Kronmüller West Germany Ducati 1 0
=   Ulf Svensson Sweden Ducati 1 0
=   Arthur Wheeler United Kingdom Ducati 1 0

References edit

  • Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
  • "The Official MotoGP website". Archived from the original on 2012-03-02. Retrieved 2010-07-06.
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