1979 British motorcycle Grand Prix

The 1979 British motorcycle Grand Prix was the eleventh round of the 1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 10-12 August 1979 at the Silverstone Circuit.

  1979 British Grand Prix
Race details
Race 11 of 13 races in the
1979 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date12 August 1979
Official nameMarlboro British Grand Prix[1][2][3]
LocationSilverstone Circuit
Course
  • Permanent racing facility
  • 4.718 km (2.932 mi)
500 cc
Pole position
Rider Kenny Roberts
Time 1:29.810
Fastest lap
Rider Barry Sheene
Time Unknown
Podium
First Kenny Roberts
Second Barry Sheene
Third Wil Hartog
350 cc
Pole position
Rider Éric Saul
Time Unknown
Fastest lap
Rider Kork Ballington
Time Unknown
Podium
First Kork Ballington
Second Gregg Hansford
Third Jeff Sayle
250 cc
Pole position
Rider Kork Ballington
Time Unknown
Fastest lap
Rider Kork Ballington
Time Unknown
Podium
First Kork Ballington
Second Randy Mamola
Third Anton Mang
125 cc
Pole position
Rider Hans Müller
Time Unknown
Fastest lap
Rider Pier Paolo Bianchi
Time Unknown
Podium
First Ángel Nieto
Second Gert Bender
Third Guy Bertin
Sidecar (B2A)
Pole position
Rider Derek Jones
Fastest lap
Rider Jock Taylor
Podium
First Rolf Biland
Second Jock Taylor
Third Dick Greasley
Sidecars (B2B)
Pole position
Rider Rolf Biland
Fastest lap
Rider Alain Michel
Podium
First Alain Michel
Second Bruno Holzer
Third Masato Kumano

Race summary

The 500cc British Grand Prix would be one of the closest races in Grand Prix history.[4] The race began with Barry Sheene, Kenny Roberts and Wil Hartog breaking away from the rest of the field. At the midpoint of the race, Hartog fell off the pace as Sheene and Roberts continued to battle for the lead.[5] They continued to swap the lead throughout the 28 lap event with Roberts winning ahead of Sheene by a narrow margin of just three-hundreds of a second.[4]

Minutes before the start of the race, Roberts' Yamaha blew a seal and sprayed the bike with oil.[5] His crew managed to replace the seal in time but, Roberts went to the starting line with his gloves coated with oil, causing his hand to slip on the throttle during the race.[5]

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.[6] 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.[6]

Classification

500 cc
Pos. Rider Team Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 Kenny Roberts Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha 42'56.720 15
2 Barry Sheene Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki +0.030 12
3 Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing Suzuki +4.970 10
4 Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat Suzuki +35.280 8
5 Boet van Dulmen Suzuki +36.820 6
6 Christian Sarron Team Sonauto Gauloises Yamaha +40.650 5
7 Franco Uncini Team Zago International Suzuki +51.090 4
8 Philippe Coulon Suzuki +51.250 3
9 Marco Lucchinelli Suzuki +56.790 2
10 John Newbold Team Appleby Glade Suzuki +1'16.490 1
11 Carlo Perugini Yamaha +1'18.280
12 Gianni Rolando Scuderia Naldoni Suzuki +1'19.910
13 Peter Sjöström Ava MC Stockholm Suzuki +1 lap
14 Steve Ward Auto 66 Club Suzuki +1 lap
15 Keith Huewen Len Manchester Motorcycles Yamaha +1 lap
16 Max Wiener Suzuki +2 laps
17 George Fogarty Sports Motorcycles Suzuki +2 laps
18 Henk de Vries Team 77 Suzuki +2 laps
19 Corrado Tuzii Suzuki +2 laps
Ret Michel Rougerie Suzuki Retired
Ret Ron Haslam Mal Carter Suzuki Retired
Ret Stan Woods Yamaha Retired
Ret Eddie Grant [[]] Retired
Ret Gary Lingham Suzuki Retired
Ret Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing Suzuki Retired
Ret John Woodley Suzuki Retired
Ret Roberto Pietri Suzuki Retired
Ret Gianni Pelletier Suzuki Retired
Ret Dennis Ireland Derry's Racing Suzuki Retired
Ret Toni Garcia Suzuki Retired
Ret Josef Hage Dieter Braun Team Suzuki Retired
Ret Roger Marshall Dieter Braun Team Silver Dream Retired
Ret Alex George Suzuki Retired
Ret Randy Mamola Serge Zago Suzuki Retired
Ret Johnny Cecotto Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha Retired
Ret Graziano Rossi Morbidelli Morbidelli Retired
Ret Rod Scivyer Suzuki Retired
Ret Seppo Rossi Kouv MK Suzuki Retired
Ret Tony Rutter Harold Coppock Suzuki Retired
Ret Ikujiro Takai Yamaha Motor Company Yamaha Retired
Ret Takazumi Katayama Honda International Racing Honda Retired
Ret Lennart Backström Suzuki Retired
Ret Russell Wood Yamaha Retired
Ret Steve Parrish Texaco Heron Team Suzuki Suzuki Accident
Ret Dave Potter Team Mitsui Yamaha Yamaha Retired
Ret Mick Grant Honda International Racing Honda Accident
DNS Jack Middelburg Suzuki Did not start
Sources: [7][8]

350cc
Place Rider Number Country Machine Time/Retired Points
1 Kork Ballington 1 South Africa Kawasaki 38min 9.91sec 15
2 Gregg Hansford 15 Australia Kawasaki 12
3 Jeff Sayle 25 Australia Yamaha 10
4 Michel Frutschi 14 Switzerland Yamaha 8
5 Roland Freymond 24 Switzerland Yamaha 6
6 Michel Rougerie 55 France Yamaha 5
7 Olivier Chevallier 10 France Chevallier-Yamaha 4
8 Tony Head 47 United Kingdom Yamaha 3
9 Alan North 43 South Africa Yamaha 2
10 Jon Ekerold 4 South Africa Yamaha 1
Sources: [9]

250cc
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points
1 Kork Ballington 1 South Africa Kawasaki 15
2 Randy Mamola 17 United States Yamaha 12
3 Anton Mang 5 West Germany Kawasaki 10
4 Graeme McGregor 35 Australia Yamaha 8
5 Roland Freymond 39 Switzerland Yamaha 6
6 Olivier Chevallier 20 France Chevallier-Yamaha 5
7 Edi Stoellinger 28 Austria Yamaha 4
8 Patrick Fernandez 2 France Yamaha 3
9 Christian Estrosi 12 France Kawasaki 2
10 Tony Head 51 United Kingdom Yamaha 1
11 Eero Hyvarinen 38 Finland Yamaha
12 Eric Saul 21 France Bimota Adriatica Yamaha
13 Rene Delaby 23 Belgium Yamaha
Sources: [10]

125cc
Place Rider Number Country Machine Points
1 Angel Nieto 2 Spain Minarelli 15
2 Gert Bender 11 West Germany Bender 12
3 Guy Bertin 5 France Motobécane 10
4 Stefan Dörflinger 12 Switzerland Morbidelli 8
5 Pier Paolo Bianchi 3 Italy Minarelli 6
6 Maurizio Massimiami 6 Italy MBA 5
7 Hans Müller 7 Switzerland MBA 4
8 August Auinger 16 Austria Morbidelli 3
9 Bruno Kneubühler 17 Switzerland MBA 2
10 Clive Horton 10 United Kingdom Morbidelli 1
Sources: [11]

B2A Sidecars Standings
Pos Rider Passenger Number Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 Rolf Biland Kurt Waltisperg 1 Schmid-Yamaha 33min 39.47sec 15
2 Jock Taylor Benga Johansson 7 Windle-Yamaha 12
3 Dick Greasley John Parkins 5 Busch-Yamaha 10
4 Werner Schwärzel Andreas Huber 4 Yamaha 8
5 Rolf Steinhausen Kenny Arthur 12 KSA-Yamaha 6
6 Walter Ohrmann Erich Schmitz 27 Yamaha 5
7 Siegfried Schauzu Lorenzo Puzo 13 Busch-Yamaha 4
8 John Barker Nick Cutmore 28 Reynoldson-Yamaha 3
9 Hermann Huber Bernhard Schappacher 14 Krauser-Yamaha 2
10 Kalevi Rahko Kari Laatikainen 16 Yamaha 1

[12]

B2B Sidecars Standings
Pos Rider Passenger Manufacturer Time/Retired Points
1 Alain Michel Michael Burkhard Seymaz-Yamaha 15
2 Bruno Holzer Karl Meierhans LCR-Yamaha 12
3 Masato Kumano Isao Arifuku Yamaha 10
4 Heinz Luthringshauser Karl Paul Yamaha 8
5 Yvan Trolliet Marc Petel Seymaz-Yamaha 6
6 Bernard Chabert Patrice Daire CB-Yamaha 5
7 Cees Smit Charles Vroegop Seymaz-Yamaha 4
8 Klaus Sprengel Derek John Booth Suzuki 3
9 Steve Sinnott John Horspole ?-Yamaha 2
10 Rudolf Reinhard Karin Sterzenbach GEP-Yamaha 1

[13]

References
  1. "Alle Grand-Prix uitslagen en bijzonderheden, van 1973 (het jaar dat Jack begon met racen) tot heden". Archive.li. Archived from the original on 13 April 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
  2. Mitchell, Malcolm. "1979 500cc Class (FIM Grand Prix World Championship) Programmes - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  3. Mitchell, Malcolm. "Silverstone Circuit - The Motor Racing Programme Covers Project". Progcovers.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  4. "Silverstone 1979 – a Roberts-Sheene classic". Motogp.com. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  5. "A Thriller At Silverstone". Sportsillustrated.com. 20 August 1979. Retrieved 15 December 2010.
  6. "The NR500s: A Humiliating Debut". World.honda.com. Retrieved 23 October 2012.
  7. "1979 British MotoGP - Motor Sport Magazine Database". Motorsportmagazine.com. 29 January 2018. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  8. "BRITISH GRAND PRIX · 500cc Race Classification 1979". Motogp.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  9. "BRITISH GRAND PRIX · 350cc Race Classification 1979". Motogp.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  10. "BRITISH GRAND PRIX · 250cc Race Classification 1979". Motogp.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  11. "BRITISH GRAND PRIX · 125cc Race Classification 1979". Motogp.com. Retrieved 4 November 2018.
  12. "1979 - Sidecars 500cc B2A (Sidecars classiques)". Racing Memory (in French). Retrieved 13 November 2011.
  13. "1979 - Sidecars 500cc B2B (Sidecars modernes)". Racing Memory (in French). Retrieved 13 November 2011.
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1979 Finnish Grand Prix		 FIM Grand Prix World Championship
1979 season		 Next race:
1979 Czechoslovakian Grand Prix
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1980 British Grand Prix
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