1976 French motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1976 French motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1976 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on 25 April 1976 at the Circuit Bugatti Le Mans.

  1976 French Grand Prix
Race details
Race 1 of 12 races in the
1976 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date25 April 1976
Official nameGrand Prix de France Moto[1][2][3]
LocationBugatti Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 4.240 km (2.635 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Barry Sheene Suzuki
Time 1:43.160
Fastest lap
Rider Marco Lucchinelli Suzuki
Time 1:41.400
Podium
First Barry Sheene Suzuki
Second Johnny Cecotto Yamaha
Third Marco Lucchinelli Suzuki
350 cc
Pole position
Rider Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta
Time 1:45.600
Fastest lap
Rider Walter Villa Harley-Davidson
Time 1:44.600
Podium
First Walter Villa Harley-Davidson
Second Johnny Cecotto Yamaha
Third Jean-François Baldé Yamaha
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Walter Villa Harley-Davidson
Time 1:48.920
Fastest lap
Rider Walter Villa Harley-Davidson
Time 1:47.800
Podium
First Walter Villa Harley-Davidson
Second Gianfranco Bonera Harley-Davidson
Third Pentti Korhonen Yamaha
50 cc
Pole position
Rider Ángel Nieto Bultaco
Time 2:13.390
Fastest lap
Rider Rudolf Kunz Kreidler
Time 2:11.200
Podium
First Herbert Rittberger Kreidler
Second Rudolf Kunz Kreidler
Third Stefan Dörflinger Kreidler
Sidecar (B2A)
Pole position
Rider Werner Schwärzel König
Time 1:53.970
Fastest lap
Rider Rolf Biland Yamaha
Time 1:52.800
Podium
First Rolf Biland Yamaha
Second Alain Michel Yamaha
Third Helmut Schilling Aro

500cc classification
Pos. No. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 7 Barry Sheene Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki 51'45.330 15
2 55 Johnny Cecotto Team Venemotos Yamaha +3.840 12
3 33 Marco Lucchinelli Gallina Corse Suzuki +19.290 10
4 4 Tepi Länsivuori Life Racing Team Suzuki +49.850 8
5 1 Giacomo Agostini Team API Marlboro MV Agusta +55.650 6
6 43 Victor Palomo Swaep Motor Racing Yamaha +1'27.660 5
7 56 Stuart Avant Colemans Suzuki +1'28.240 4
8 13 Dieter Braun Suzuki +1'47.880 3
9 12 Karl Auer Racing Team NO Yamaha +1 lap 2
10 51 Boet van Dulmen Laponder Racing Yamaha +1 lap 1
11 19 Olivier Chevallier Yamaha +1 lap
12 45 Steve Parrish Dave More Yamaha +1 lap
13 11 Chas Mortimer Takazumi Katayama Sarome Team Yamaha +1 lap
14 25 Gilles Husson Yamaha +1 lap
15 6 Alex George Hermetite Racing International Yamaha +1 lap
16 44 Edmar Ferreira Goias Swaep Motor Yamaha +1 lap
17 48 René Guili Suzuki +2 laps
18 30 Johnny Bengtsson Stigefetts Motor Suzuki +2 laps
19 41 Helmut Kassner Suzuki +2 laps
20 36 Jules Nies Suzuki +3 laps
Ret ?? Jack Findlay Jack Findlay Racing Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Phil Read Team Life International Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Thierry Tchernine Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Christian Estrosi Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Jean-Paul Boinet Ecurie Jean Murit Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Marcel Ankoné Nimag Suzuki Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Pentti Korhonen Yamaha Retired
Ret ?? Risto Makinen Yamaha Retired
Ret ?? Roberto Gallina Gallina Corse Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Adu Celso-Santos Yamaha Retired
Ret ?? Philippe Coulon Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Nico Cereghini Life Racing Team Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? John Williams Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki Accident
Ret ?? Eddie Roberts Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Pat Hennen Colemans Suzuki Retired
Ret ?? Max Wiener Racing Team NO Yamaha Retired
DNS Michel Rougerie Suzuki Did not start
Sources: [4][5][6]

350 cc classification
Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 73 Walter Villa Harley-Davidson 30 52:45.01 4 15
2 1 Johnny Cecotto Yamaha 30 +17.91 3 12
3 24 Jean-François Baldé Yamaha 30 +30.07 7 10
4 70 Takazumi Katayama Yamaha 30 +37.05 2 8
5 44 Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 30 +42.33 8 6
6 49 Paolo Tordi Yamaha 30 +44.73 6 5
7 42 Patrick Fernandez Yamaha 30 +57.12 5 4
8 3 Pentti Korhonen Yamaha 30 +1:04.88 3
9 9 Tom Herron Yamaha 30 +1:09.72 2
10 65 John Dodds Yamaha 30 +1:16.94 1
11 52 Pekka Nurmi Yamaha 30 +1:40.94
12 28 Alain Vial Yamaha 30 +1:42.52
13 81 Claude Benelhadj Yamaha 30 +1:56.00
14 46 Jean-Louis Olivier Yamaha 29 +1 lap
15 32 Christian Bourgeois Yamaha 29 +1 lap
16 47 Hervé Moineau Yamaha 29 +1 lap
17 62 John Weeden Yamaha 29 +1 lap
18 60 Alan North Yamaha 25 +5 laps [N 1]
19 61 Steve Parrish Yamaha 25 +5 laps [N 1]
20 22 Franz Kunz Yamaha 24 +6 laps [N 1]
21 13 Philippe Coulon Yamaha 23 +7 laps [N 1]
Ret Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1
Ret Patrick Pons Yamaha 9
Ret Christian Huguet Yamaha 10
36 starters in total
[6]
Footnotes
  1. North, Parrish, Kunz and Coulon retired but were classified as finishers.

250 cc classification
Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 1 Walter Villa Harley Davidson 30 54:41.62 1 15
2 90 Gianfranco Bonera Harley Davidson 30 +42.14 6 12
3 19 Pentti Korhonen Yamaha 30 +48.71 5 10
4 49 Olivier Chevallier Yamaha 30 +49.92 8 8
5 18 Gérard Choukron Yamaha 30 +1:03.05 6
6 59 Pekka Nurmi Yamaha 30 +1:08.01 5
7 5 Patrick Pons Yamaha 30 +1:08.18 4
8 36 Philippe Bouzanne Yamaha 30 +1:09.42 3
9 21 Jean-Claude Hogrel Yamaha 30 +1:09.57 2
10 46 Patrick Fernandez Yamaha 30 +1:11.52 9 1
11 65 John Dodds Yamaha 30 +1:24.28
12 6 Chas Mortimer Yamaha 30 +1:29.55
13 32 Denis Boulom Yamaha 30 +1:29.80
14 74 Paolo Tordi Yamaha 30 +1:35.87
15 63 Jaime Samaranch Yamaha 30 +1:36.17
16 34 Gilbert Lavelle Yamaha 30 +1:36.84
17 53 Christian Huguet Yamaha 30 +1:45.48
18 48 Christian Sarron Yamaha 29 +1 lap 10
19 54 Thiérry Noblesse Yamaha 29 +1 lap
20 8 Leif Gustafsson Yamaha 28 +2 laps [N 1]
21 13 Tom Herron Yamaha 25 +5 laps [N 1]
22 23 Hervé Moineau Yamaha 23 +7 laps [N 1]
Ret Pat Evans Yamaha 2
Ret Raymond Roche Yamaha 3
Ret Tapio Virtanen MZ 4
Ret Franz Kunz Yamaha 7
36 starters in total
[6]
Footnotes
  1. Gustafsson, Herron and Moineau retired but were classified as finishers.

50 cc classification
Pos No. Rider Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 5 Herbert Rittberger Kreidler 15 34:04.21 6 15
2 4 Rudolf Kunz Kreidler 15 +0.19 4 12
3 6 Stefan Dörflinger Kreidler 15 +3.57 7 10
4 25 Pierre Audry ABF 15 +4.88 2 8
5 12 Aldo Pero Kreidler 15 +1:07.39 6
6 11 Theo Timmer Yamathi 15 +1:17.45 5
7 28 Yves le Tourmelin Scrab-Ty 15 +1:21.14 4
8 2 Eugenio Lazzarini Morbidelli 15 +1:22.42 5 3
9 23 Benjamin Laurent Kreidler 15 +1:52.42 2
10 14 Ulrich Graf Kreidler 15 +1:54.27 1
11 38 Jacques Hutteau Scrab 15 +2:07.53
12 24 Raymond Duriez Kreidler 15 +2:13.68
13 42 J. Zweisldo Kreidler 14 +1 lap
14 33 Joaquin Gali Derbi 14 +1 lap
15 36 Günter Schirnhöfer Kreidler 14 +1 lap
16 44 Giuido Delys Kreidler 13 +2 laps
17 26 Pierre Harlay Kreidler 13 +2 laps
18 16 Cees van Dongen Morbidelli 12 +3 laps [N 1] 8
19 29 Patrick de Wulf Kreidler 12 +3 laps
Ret Ángel Nieto Bultaco 1
Ret Jean-Paul Fargues ABF 3
Ret Nico Polane Morbidelli 9
Ret Julien van Zeebroeck Kreidler 10
32 starters in total
[6]
Footnotes
  1. van Dongen retired but was classified as a finisher.

Sidecar classification
Pos No. Rider Passenger Manufacturer Laps Time Grid Points
1 3 Rolf Biland Ken Williams Yamaha 25 47:53.53 4 15
2 32 Alain Michel Bernard Garcia Yamaha 25 +4.13 2 12
3 11 Helmut Schilling Rainer Gundel Aro 24 +1 lap 5 10
4 21 Bruno Holzer Charly Meierhans LCR-Yamaha 24 +1 lap 6 8
5 9 Amedeo Zini Andrea Fornaro König 24 +1 lap 6
6 34 Hanspeter Hubacher Kurt Huber Yamaha 24 +1 lap 5
7 27 Ted Janssen Eric Schmitz Yamaha 24 +1 lap 4
8 22 Siegfried Schauzu A. Lorentz Aro 23 +2 laps 3
9 15 Dick Greasley Cliff Holland Chell Yamaha 23 +2 laps 2
10 14 Heinz Luthringhauser Lorenzo Puzo BMW 23 +2 laps 1
11 2 Werner Schwärzel Andreas Huber König 22 +3 laps [N 1] 1
12 25 Yves Trolliet P. Muller König 22 +3 laps
Ret Klaus Enders Wolfgang Kalauch Heukerot 3
Ret Hans Prugl Horst Kussberger König 7
Ret Hermann Schmid Jean Petit Yamaha 7
24 starters in total
[6]
Footnotes
  1. Schwärzel and Huber retired but were classified as finishers.

References
  1. "Grand Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden 1976 - heden". Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2019-07-25.
  2. "1976 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes | The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  3. "Le Mans | The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". www.progcovers.com.
  4. "1976 French MotoGP | Motor Sport Magazine Database". Motor Sport Magazine. April 3, 2018.
  5. "motogp.com · FRENCH GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1976". www.motogp.com.
  6. Carter, Chris (ed.). Motocourse 1976-1977. Hazleton Securities Ltd. p. 53. ISBN 0-905138-02-3.
Previous race:
1975 Yugoslavian Grand Prix		 FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1976 season		 Next race:
1976 Austrian Grand Prix
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1975 French Grand Prix		 French Grand Prix Next race:
1977 French Grand Prix
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