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1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Geoff Duke, the 1951 350cc and 500cc World Champion.

The 1951 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the third F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of eight Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 8 April, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 9 September. As of 2022, this is the most recent season the premier class was won by a non-Japanese or non-Italian constructor.

1951 Grand Prix season calendar

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Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report
1 8 April Spain Spanish Grand Prix Montjuïc Italy Guido Leoni United Kingdom Tommy Wood Italy Umberto Masetti United Kingdom Italy Oliver / Dobelli Report
2 27 May Switzerland Swiss Grand Prix Bremgarten Italy Dario Ambrosini United Kingdom Leslie Graham Scotland Fergus Anderson Italy Frigerio / Ricotti Report
3 8 June Isle of Man Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Northern Ireland Cromie McCandless United Kingdom Tommy Wood United Kingdom Geoff Duke United Kingdom Geoff Duke Report
4 1 July Belgium Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps United Kingdom Geoff Duke United Kingdom Geoff Duke United Kingdom Italy Oliver / Dobelli Report
5 7 July Netherlands Dutch TT Assen Italy Gianni Leoni United Kingdom Bill Doran United Kingdom Geoff Duke Report
6 14 July France French Grand Prix Albi Italy Bruno Ruffo United Kingdom Geoff Duke Italy Alfredo Milani United Kingdom Italy Oliver / Dobelli Report
7 18 August Northern Ireland Ulster Grand Prix Clady Northern Ireland Cromie McCandless Italy Bruno Ruffo United Kingdom Geoff Duke United Kingdom Geoff Duke Report
8 9 September Italy Nations Grand Prix Monza Italy Carlo Ubbiali Italy Enrico Lorenzetti United Kingdom Geoff Duke Italy Alfredo Milani Italy Milani / Pizzocri Report

† The race saw only four competitors and was not counted as a round of the World Championship.

Standings

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Scoring system

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Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the best three races counted in the Sidecars, 125cc and 250cc, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, the best five results counted.

Position  1st   2nd   3rd   4th   5th   6th 
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

500cc final standings

[edit]
Pos Rider Machine ESP
Spain
SUI
Switzerland
MAN
United Kingdom
BEL
Belgium
HOL
Netherlands
FRA
France
ULS
Ulster
NAC
Italy
Pts
1 United Kingdom Geoff Duke Norton Ret 1 1 1 5 1 4 35
2 Italy Alfredo Milani Gilera Ret Ret 2 2 1 4 1 31
3 Italy Umberto Masetti Gilera 1 9 Ret 4 3 2 21
4 United Kingdom Bill Doran AJS 2 Ret Ret 2 6 6 14
5 Italy Nello Pagani Gilera Ret Ret 5 10 3 8 3 10
6 Republic of Ireland Reg Armstrong AJS 2 Ret 4 Ret Ret 9
7 Scotland Fergus Anderson Moto Guzzi Ret 1 Ret Ret 7 8
8 Italy Enrico Lorenzetti Norton / Moto Guzzi Ret 3 8 3 9 Ret 8
9 United Kingdom Tommy Wood Norton 2 11 14 16 6
10 Australia Ken Kavanagh Norton Ret 2 Ret 6
11 United Kingdom Johnny Lockett Norton Ret 6 4 10 5 11 6
12 Italy Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta 5 4 Ret Ret 9 5
13 Italy Sante Geminiani Moto Guzzi Ret Ret 3 Ret 13 4
14 Italy Arciso Artesiani MV Agusta 3 Ret Ret Ret 4
= Northern Ireland Cromie McCandless Norton 3 4
16 Isle of Man Tommy McEwans Norton 4 3
= Spain Roger Montané Norton 4 3
18 United Kingdom Jack Brett Norton 7 5 6 Ret 8 3
19 Italy Bruno Ruffo Moto Guzzi Ret 5 2
20 Republic of Ireland Manliff Barrington Norton 5 2
= Switzerland Benoit Musy Moto Guzzi 5 2
22 New Zealand Len Perry Norton 9 12 6 Ret 1
23 Switzerland Willy Lips Norton 6 1
= United Kingdom Ashley Len Parry Norton 6 1
= Spain Ernesto Vidal Gilera 6 1
26 United Kingdom Arthur Wheeler Norton Ret 7 14 11 Ret 0
27 Germany Hans Baltisberger Norton 7 0
= United Kingdom Eric Briggs Norton 7 0
= Northern Ireland Louis Carter Norton 7 0
= Italy Libero Liberati Gilera 7 0
31 United Kingdom Albert Moule Norton 8 9 0
32 United Kingdom Bill Petch AJS/ Norton Ret Ret 8 Ret 15 0
33 Netherlands Lous van Riswijk Triumph Ret 8 0
34 Switzerland Massimo Forster Gilera 8 0
35 Finland Väinö Hollming Norton / Moto Guzzi 9 Ret 0
36 Netherlands Cees Fokke-Bosch Norton 9 0
37 New Zealand Rod Coleman Norton / AJS Ret 10 11 Ret Ret 0
38 United Kingdom Sidney Mason Norton 10 Ret 0
39 United Kingdom Ken Armstrong Norton 10 0
= Northern Ireland Phil Carter Norton 10 0
= United Kingdom Les Dear Norton 10 0
42 Southern Rhodesia Ray Amm Norton 28 11 11 12 12 0
43 United Kingdom Guy Newman Norton 11 0
44 United Kingdom Jack Bailey Norton Ret 12 0
= United Kingdom Roy Evans Norton / AJS 12 Ret 0
46 Switzerland Alexandre Mayer Norton 12 0
47 United Kingdom Harold Grindley Norton Ret 13 0
48 Italy Dante Bianchi Moto Guzzi 13 0
= United Kingdom Dennis Lashmar Norton 13 0
50 Northern Ireland Maurice Acheson AJS 14 0
= Italy Giuseppe Colnago Gilera 14 0
= Belgium Auguste Goffin Norton 14 0
53 United Kingdom Bill Hall Velocette Ret 15 0
54 France Jean Behra Moto Guzzi 15 0
= Belgium León Martin Gilera 15 0
= United Kingdom Roy Walker Velocette 15 0
57 Italy Giulie Galbiati Moto Guzzi Ret 17 Ret 16 0
58 Italy Felice Benasedo Moto Guzzi Ret 31 16 Ret Ret 0
59 United Kingdom Robert Ferguson AJS 16 0
= United Kingdom Sid Franklen AJS 16 0
61 United Kingdom Ernie Barrett AJS Ret 17 0
62 United Kingdom Syl Anderton Norton 17 0
= Italy Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera 17 0
= United Kingdom Jack Harding AJS 17 0
65 France Georges Houel Gilera Ret 18 0
66 Northern Ireland Charlie Gray AJS 18 0
= Northern Ireland George Brockerton Bitza 18 0
= Belgium Jaak Delsing Triumph 18 0
69 United Kingdom Leo Starr AJS 27 19 0
70 United Kingdom Ernie Thomas Velocette / Norton Ret 19 Ret 0
71 Scotland George Paterson AJS 19 0
72 Denmark Sven Sørensen Norton 20 0
= Belgium Albert Vertriest Triumph 20 0
74 Sweden Evert Carlsson Norton 21 0
= United States Ronald Pike BSA 21 0
76 United Kingdom Ray Petty Norton 22 0
77 United Kingdom Arnold Jones Norton 23 0
78 United Kingdom Achie Fenn Norton 24 0
79 United Kingdom Jim Kentish AJS 25 0
80 United Kingdom Humphrey Ranson AJS / Norton 26 Ret 0
81 Canada Eddie Stidolph Norton 29 0
82 United Kingdom Max Klein AJS 30 0
83 United Kingdom Leslie Harris Norton 32 Ret 0
84 United Kingdom Ernie Braine Norton 33 0
85 United Kingdom John Fisher Velocette 34 0
86 United Kingdom Joe Chapman Rudge-Whitworth 35 0
87 United Kingdom Bill Maddrick Velocette 36 0
88 United Kingdom J. Gunn Norton 37 0
89 Northern Ireland Bob McDonald AJS 38 0
90 United Kingdom Bill Beevers AJS / Norton Ret 39 0
United Kingdom Leslie Graham MV Agusta / Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
Italy Bruno Bertacchini MV Agusta Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
Northern Ireland Bob Matthews Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
United Kingdom Eric Oliver Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret 0
United Kingdom Mick Featherstone AJS Ret Ret 0
United Kingdom Charlie Salt BSA / Velocette Ret Ret 0
Belgium Edouard Texidor Norton Ret Ret 0
Spain Javier de Ortueta Norton DNS Ret 0
Spain Fernando Aranda Moto Guzzi Ret 0
Belgium Raymond Becquevort AJS Ret 0
Italy Gaetano Biondelli Gilera Ret 0
United Kingdom Charlie Brett Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Charlie Bruguiere AJS Ret 0
Switzerland Florian Camathias BMW Ret 0
United Kingdom Bernard Carter Triumph Ret 0
Northern Ireland Phil Carter Norton Ret 0
France Jacques Collot Norton Ret 0
Belgium Eugéne Cordang Triumph Ret 0
Switzerland Georges Cordey Norton Ret 0
Belgium Firmin Dauwe Norton Ret 0
Belgium Julien Deronne Norton Ret 0
France Jacques Drion Norton Ret 0
Belgium Roger Ergé Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Lennart Fenning Norton Ret 0
Italy Tito Forconi Gilera Ret 0
United Kingdom Frank Fry Norton Ret 0
Switzerland Werner Gerber Norton Ret 0
Italy Francesco Guglielminetti Gilera Ret 0
United Kingdom Eric Hardy Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Philip Heath Vincent Ret 0
United Kingdom Johnny Hodgkin Vincent Ret 0
United Kingdom Chris Horn Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Sid Lawton AJS Ret 0
United Kingdom George Leigh Norton Ret 0
Italy Guido Leoni Moto Guzzi Ret 0
Republic of Ireland Harry Lindsay Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Maurice Lockwood AJS Ret 0
Australia Tony McAlpine Gilera Ret 0
United Kingdom Reg McDonald Velocette Ret 0
United Kingdom Stan Miller Norton Ret 0
France Georges Monneret Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom George Morgan Velocette Ret 0
New Zealand Ken Mudford AJS Ret 0
United Kingdom Alan Mullee Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Bill Mundy Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Arthur Pollitt Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Brian Purslow BSA Ret 0
Belgium Jacques Raffeld AJS Ret 0
Republic of Ireland Michael Roche Triumph Ret 0
Italy Elio Scopigno Moto Guzzi Ret 0
United Kingdom Oliver Scott Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Ralf Seymour Velocette Ret 0
United Kingdom Cyril Stevens Triumph Ret 0
Switzerland Heinrich Stamm Gilera Ret 0
United Kingdom Jack Varlow AJS Ret 0
United Kingdom Ernest Walker Norton Ret 0
United Kingdom Leonard Williams Velocette Ret 0
Pos Rider Bike ESP
Spain
SUI
Switzerland
MAN
United Kingdom
BEL
Belgium
HOL
Netherlands
FRA
France
ULS
Ulster
NAC
Italy
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

Constructors' 500cc World Championship

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Pos Constructor Pts
1 United Kingdom Norton 38 (44)
2 Italy Gilera 36 (40)
3 United Kingdom AJS 21 (23)
4 Italy Moto Guzzi 18
5 Italy MV Agusta 7
Germany BMW 0
United Kingdom BSA 0
United Kingdom Rudge-Whitworth 0
United Kingdom Triumph 0
United Kingdom Velocette 0
United Kingdom Vincent 0

350cc Standings

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Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 United Kingdom Geoff Duke United Kingdom Norton 40 5
2 United Kingdom Bill Doran United Kingdom AJS 19 1
3 United Kingdom John Lockett United Kingdom Norton 19 0
4 Australia Ken Kavanagh Australia Norton 16 0
5 United Kingdom Jack Brett United Kingdom Norton 15 0
6 United Kingdom Leslie Graham United Kingdom Velocette 14 1
7 Republic of Ireland Reg Armstrong Ireland AJS 11 0
8 United Kingdom Bill Petch United Kingdom AJS 10 0
9 United Kingdom Cecil Sandford United Kingdom Velocette 9 0
10 United Kingdom Tommy Wood United Kingdom Velocette 8 1
11 United Kingdom Bill Lomas United Kingdom Velocette 6 0
12 New Zealand Rod Coleman New Zealand AJS 5 0
13 United Kingdom Mick Featherstone United Kingdom AJS 4 0
14 Spain Fernando Aranda Spain Velocette 3 0
= Switzerland Paul Fuhrer Switzerland Velocette 3 0
16 United Kingdom Sid Mason United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
= Belgium Jack Raffeld Belgium Velocette 2 0
= United Kingdom Simon Sandys-Winsch United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
19 Gibraltar Johnny Grace Gibraltar Norton 1 0
= Republic of Ireland Bob Matthews Ireland Velocette 1 0
= United Kingdom Bob Foster United Kingdom Velocette 1 0
= Austria Leonhardt Faßl Austria AJS 1 0

250cc Standings

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Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins
1 Italy Bruno Ruffo Italy Moto Guzzi 22 2
2 United Kingdom Tommy Wood United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 18 1
3 Italy Dario Ambrosini Italy Benelli 14 1
4 Italy Enrico Lorenzetti Italy Moto Guzzi 12 1
5 Italy Gianni Leoni Italy Moto Guzzi 10 0
6 United Kingdom Maurice Cann United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 6 0
= United Kingdom Arthur Wheeler United Kingdom Velocette 6 0
8 United Kingdom Fergus Anderson United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 3 0
= United Kingdom Wilf Hutt United Kingdom Moto Guzzi 3 0
= Italy Alano Montanari Italy Moto Guzzi 3 0
= Switzerland Benoit Musy Switzerland Moto Guzzi 3 0
12 United Kingdom Bill Lomas United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
= United Kingdom Cecil Sandford United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
= United Kingdom Douglas Beasley United Kingdom Velocette 2 0
= Italy Bruno Francisci Italy Moto Guzzi 2 0
16 United Kingdom Fron Purslow United Kingdom Norton 1 0
= Republic of Ireland Norman Blemings Ireland Excelsior 1 0
= Switzerland Werner Gerber Switzerland Moto Guzzi 1 0
= Italy Nino Grieco Italy Parilla 1 0
= Italy Guido Paciocca Italy Moto Guzzi 1 0

125cc

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Riders' standings

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Pos. Rider Bike ESP
Spain
MAN
United Kingdom
NED
Netherlands
NAT
Italy
Pts
1 Italy Carlo Ubbiali Mondial 2F 2 1F 20
2 Italy Gianni Leoni Mondial 3 1F 12
3 United Kingdom Cromie McCandless Mondial 1F 4 11
4 Italy Luigi Zinzani Morini 2 3 10
5 Italy Guido Leoni Mondial 1 8
6 Italy Vittorio Zanzi Morini 3 4 7
7 Italy Romolo Ferri Mondial 2 6
8 United Kingdom Leslie Graham MV Agusta 3 4
9 Spain Juan Bultó Montesa 5 5 4
10 Italy Raffaele Alberti Mondial 4 3
10 Italy Nello Pagani Mondial 4 3
12 Italy Franco Bertoni MV Agusta 5 2
12 Italy Otello Spadoni Mondial 5 2
14 Spain José Antonio Elizalde Mondial 6 1
14 Spain José Maria Llobet Montesa 6 1
14 Italy Emilio Mendogni Morini 6 1
14 Italy Giuseppe Matucci MV Agusta 6 1
Pos. Rider Bike ESP
Spain
MAN
United Kingdom
NED
Netherlands
NAT
Italy
Pts
Race key
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver 2nd place
Bronze 3rd 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)
Annotation Meaning
P Pole position
F Fastest lap
Rider key
Colour Meaning
Light blue Rookie rider

Constructors' standings

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Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.

Pos. Constructor ESP
Spain
MAN
United Kingdom
NED
Netherlands
NAT
Italy
Pts
1 Italy Mondial 1 1 1 1 24 (32)
2 Italy Morini 3 2 3 14
3 Italy MV Agusta 3 6 5
4 Spain Montesa 5 5 4
Pos. Constructor ESP
Spain
MAN
United Kingdom
NED
Netherlands
NAT
Italy
Pts

References

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  • Haefliger, Werner. FIM MotoGP Results 1949–2023 Guide (2024 ed.). pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-2-9701086-8-9.
  • 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 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2010-07-06.