1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
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This article recaps the 1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season.
Contents |
[edit] Season summary
Suzuki saw off a strong challenge from Yamaha to take their second consecutive 500cc crown. Angel Nieto made it three 50cc titles in a row on a Bultaco while Morbidelli would win an impressive double world championship in the 125cc and 250cc divisions. Pier Paolo Bianchi successfully defended his 125cc title while fellow countryman Mario Lega captured the 250cc championship for the tiny Italian concern. The 350cc crown went to Takazumi Katayama on a factory Yamaha, making him the first-ever Japanese world champion. Barry Sheene made it two premier titles in a row, winning from two Americans, Steve Baker and Pat Hennen.
The season was marred by a terrible crash at the Austrian 500cc Grand Prix that claimed the life of Swiss rider, Hans Stadelmann and seriously injuring several others. It also led to a 500cc riders strike over safety. Despite finishing second and winning the Formula 750 title, Baker would be released by Yamaha at the end of the year. Giacomo Agostini would retire after the season, ending his seventeen year career with a record 122 Grand Prix victories and 15 World Championships.
[edit] 500cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos |  Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 2 |  Austrian Grand Prix |
Salzburgring |  Jack Findlay |
Suzuki | Report |
| 3 |  West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 4 |  Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 5 |  French Grand Prix |
Paul Ricard | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 6 |  Dutch TT |
Assen | Wil Hartog |
Suzuki | Report |
| 7 |  Belgian Grand Prix |
Spa | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 8 |  Swedish Grand Prix |
Anderstorp | Barry Sheene |
Suzuki | Report |
| 9 |  Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Johnny Cecotto |
Yamaha | Report |
| 10 |  Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Johnny Cecotto |
Yamaha | Report |
| 11 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone |  Pat Hennen |
Suzuki | Report |
[edit] 1977 500cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Barry Sheene |
1 | United Kingdom | Suzuki | 107 | 6 |
| 2 | Steve Baker |
32 | United States | Yamaha | 80 | 0 |
| 3 | Pat Hennen |
40 | United States | Suzuki | 67 | 1 |
| 4 | Johnny Cecotto |
Venezuela | Yamaha | 50 | 2 | |
| 5 | Steve Parrish |
United Kingdom | Suzuki | 39 | 0 | |
| 6 | Giacomo Agostini |
7 | Italy | Yamaha | 37 | 0 |
| 7 | Franco Bonera |
Italy | Suzuki | 37 | 0 | |
| 8 |  Philippe Coulon |
6 | Switzerland | Suzuki | 36 | 0 |
| 9 | Teuvo Lansivuori |
2 | Finland | Suzuki | 35 | 0 |
| 10 | Wil Hartog |
Netherlands | Suzuki | 30 | 1 |
[edit] 350cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Johnny Cecotto |
Yamaha | Report |
| 2 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring |  Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 3 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola |  Alan North |
Yamaha | Report |
| 4 |  Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Michel Rougerie |
Yamaha | Report |
| 5 | French Grand Prix |
Paul Ricard | Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 6 |  Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 7 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Kork Ballington |
Yamaha | Report |
| 8 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Anderstorp | Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 9 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 10 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Johnny Cecotto |
Yamaha | Report |
| 11 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Kork Ballington |
Yamaha | Report |
[edit] 1977 350cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Takazumi Katayama |
7 | Japan | Yamaha | 95 | 5 |
| 2 | Tom Herron |
4 | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 56 | 0 |
| 3 | Jon Ekerold |
South Africa | Yamaha | 54 | 0 | |
| 4 | Michel Rougerie |
France | Yamaha | 50 | 1 | |
| 5 | Kork Ballington |
South Africa | Yamaha | 46 | 1 | |
| 6 | Olivier Chevallier |
9 | France | Yamaha | 39 | 0 |
| 7 | Christian Sarron |
France | Yamaha | 38 | 0 | |
| 8 | Patrick Fernandez |
France | Yamaha | 34 | 0 | |
| 9 | Johnny Cecotto |
2 | Venezuela | Yamaha | 30 | 2 |
| 10 | Alan North |
South Africa | Yamaha | 30 | 1 |
[edit] 250cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Walter Villa |
Harley-Davidson | Report |
| 2 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Christian Sarron |
Yamaha | Report |
| 3 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Franco Uncini |
Harley-Davidson | Report |
| 4 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Takazumi Katayama |
Yamaha | Report |
| 5 | French Grand Prix |
Paul Ricard | Jon Ekerold |
Yamaha | Report |
| 6 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Mario Lega |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 7 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Mick Grant |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 8 | Belgian Grand Prix |
Spa | Walter Villa |
Harley-Davidson | Report |
| 9 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Anderstorp | Mick Grant |
Kawasaki | Report |
| 10 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Walter Villa |
Harley-Davidson | Report |
| 11 | Czechoslovakian Grand Prix |
Brno | Franco Uncini |
Harley-Davidson | Report |
| 12 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Kork Ballington |
Yamaha | Report |
[edit] 1977 250cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Lega |
Italy | Morbidelli | 85 | 1 | |
| 2 | Franco Uncini |
Italy | Harley-Davidson | 72 | 2 | |
| 3 | Walter Villa |
1 | Italy | Harley-Davidson | 67 | 3 |
| 4 | Takazumi Katayama |
Japan | Yamaha | 58 | 1 | |
| 5 | Tom Herron |
4 | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 54 | 0 |
| 6 | Kork Ballington |
South Africa | Yamaha | 49 | 1 | |
| 7 | Alan North |
6 | South Africa | Yamaha | 43 | 0 |
| 8 | Mick Grant |
United Kingdom | Kawasaki | 42 | 2 | |
| 9 | Jon Ekerold |
South Africa | Yamaha | 42 | 1 | |
| 10 | Patrick Fernandez |
France | Yamaha | 28 | 0 |
[edit] 125cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Venezuelan Grand Prix |
San Carlos | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 2 | Austrian Grand Prix |
Salzburgring | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 3 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 4 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 5 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 6 | French Grand Prix |
Paul Ricard | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 7 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 8 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 9 | Belgian Grand Prix |
Spa | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 10 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Anderstorp | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 11 | Finnish Grand Prix |
Imatra | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
Morbidelli | Report |
| 12 | British Grand Prix |
Silverstone | Pierluigi Conforti |
Morbidelli | Report |
[edit] 1977 125cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
1 | Italy | Morbidelli | 131 | 7 |
| 2 | Eugenio Lazzarini |
7 | Italy | Morbidelli | 105 | 1 |
| 3 | Angel Nieto |
2 | Spain | Bultaco | 80 | 3 |
| 4 | Jean-Louis Guignabodet |
6 | France | Morbidelli | 62 | 0 |
| 5 | Anton Mang |
5 | West Germany | Morbidelli | 55 | 0 |
| 6 | Gert Bender |
West Germany | Bender | 38 | 0 | |
| 7 | Harald Bartol |
Austria | Morbidelli | 32 | 0 | |
| 8 | Hans Müller |
Switzerland | Morbidelli | 32 | 0 | |
| 9 | Stefan Dörflinger |
Switzerland | Morbidelli | 32 | 0 | |
| 10 | Pierluigi Conforti |
Italy | Morbidelli | 30 | 1 |
[edit] 50cc Season review
| Round | Race | Location | Winning rider | Winning team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West German Grand Prix |
Hockenheimring | Herbert Rittberger |
Kreidler | Report |
| 2 | Nations Grand Prix |
Imola | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 3 | Spanish Grand Prix |
Jarama | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 4 | Yugoslavian Grand Prix |
Opatija | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 5 | Dutch TT |
Assen | Angel Nieto |
Bultaco | Report |
| 6 | Belgian Grand Prix |
Spa | Eugenio Lazzarini |
Kreidler | Report |
| 7 | Swedish Grand Prix |
Anderstorp | Ricardo Tormo |
Bultaco | Report |
[edit] 1977 50cc Roadracing World Championship final standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Angel Nieto |
1 | Spain | Bultaco | 87 | 3 |
| 2 | Eugenio Lazzarini |
4 | Italy | Kreidler | 72 | 2 |
| 3 | Ricardo Tormo |
Spain | Bultaco | 69 | 1 | |
| 4 | Herbert Rittberger |
2 | West Germany | Kreidler | 53 | 1 |
| 5 | Patrick Plisson |
France | ABF | 26 | 0 | |
| 6 | Stefan Dörflinger |
7 | Switzerland | Kreidler | 26 | 1 |
| 7 | Jean-Louis Guignabodet |
France | Morbidelli | 14 | 0 | |
| 8 | Hans Hummel |
9 | Austria | Kreidler | 11 | 0 |
| 9 | Julien Van Zeebroeck |
6 | Belgium | Kreidler | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | Ramon Gali |
Spain | Derbi | 10 | 0 |
| Grand Prix motorcycle racing |  |
|---|---|
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