1972 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season explained

The 1972 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 24th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 30 April, with West German Grand Prix and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 23 September.

Season summary

Another year, another championship for Giacomo Agostini, claiming a record 11 victories to take his seventh consecutive 500cc crown for MV Agusta. Things were tighter in the 350cc class with Jarno Saarinen giving Agostini a strong challenge by winning three races, including a victory at the German Grand Prix held at the daunting Nürburgring race track, where Saarinen defeated Agostini for the first time in a head-to-head race. Saarinen also scored a double victory at the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix with victories in both the 250cc and 350cc classes.^[1] The threat from Saarinen's two stroke Yamaha was so strong that the previously dominant MV Agusta factory was forced to produce a new 350cc motorcycle for Agostini.

In the 250cc division, Saarinen would win a tight race in a season-long battle with Renzo Pasolini and Rod Gould. Angel Nieto claimed a double, winning the 125cc and 50cc championships for Derbi before the Spanish factory announced its pull out from Grand Prix racing. The Yamaha factory won its first-ever 500cc Grand Prix race at the season ending Spanish Grand Prix at Jarama when Chas Mortimer won the race after Agostini sat out the event after already winning the championship,^[2]

This would be the final season for the East German Grand Prix as a championship race, as SED officials, troubled by fans singing Das Lied der Deutschen (the West German national anthem) after Dieter Braun's victory the previous season, limited entries to only Eastern Bloc nations beginning in 1973.

1972 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	50cc winner	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	30 April	German Grand Prix	Nürburgring Nordschleife	Jan de Vries	Gilberto Parlotti	Hideo Kanaya	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Schauzu / Kalauch	Report
2	7 May	French Grand Prix	Charade		Gilberto Parlotti	Phil Read	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Luthringshauser / Cusnik	Report
3	14 May	Austrian Grand Prix	Salzburgring		Angel Nieto	Börje Jansson	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
4	21 May	Nations Grand Prix	Imola	Jan de Vries	Angel Nieto	Renzo Pasolini	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini		Report
5	9 June	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain		Chas Mortimer	Phil Read	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Schauzu / Kalauch	Report
6	18 June	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Opatija	Jan Bruins	Kent Andersson	Renzo Pasolini	János Drapál	Alberto Pagani		Report
7	24 June	Dutch TT	Assen	Angel Nieto	Angel Nieto	Rodney Gould	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
8	2 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	Angel Nieto	Angel Nieto	Jarno Saarinen		Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
9	9 July	Grand Prix of the DRG	Sachsenring	Theo Timmer	Börje Jansson	Jarno Saarinen	Phil Read	Giacomo Agostini		Report
10	16 July	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Brno		Börje Jansson	Jarno Saarinen	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Enders / Engelhardt	Report
11	23 July	Swedish Grand Prix	Anderstorp	Jan de Vries	Angel Nieto	Rodney Gould	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini		Report
12	30 July	Finnish Grand Prix	Imatra		Kent Andersson	Jarno Saarinen	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini	Vincent / Casey	Report
13	23 September	Spanish Grand Prix	Montjuïc	Angel Nieto	Kent Andersson	Renzo Pasolini	Bruno Kneubühler	Chas Mortimer		Report

Scoring system

Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of five races were counted on 50cc and Sidecars championships, while in the 125cc, 250cc, 350cc and 500cc championships, the best of seven races were counted.

500cc final standings

Pos	Rider	Machine	GER	FRA	AUT	NAC	MAN	YUG	HOL	BEL	DDR	CZE	SWE	FIN	ESP	Pts
1	Giacomo Agostini	MV Agusta	1	1	1	1	1	Ret	1	1	1	1	1	1		105 (165)
2	Alberto Pagani	MV Agusta	2			2	2	1	2	2				2		87
3	Bruno Kneubühler	Yamaha	11	4	8	5		Ret	3		4	3	7	Ret	4	54 (57)
4	Rodney Gould	Yamaha								3	2	4	2	3		52
5	Bo Granath	Husqvarna	6	6	3	Ret		5	Ret	5	6	7	3	12	Ret	47 (51)
6	Chas Mortimer	Yamaha						2	5	Ret	5	Ret	8	Ret	1	42
7	Dave Simmonds	Kawasaki	4	Ret					4	Ret			4	5	2	42
8	Billie Nelson	Honda / Yamaha / Paton	8	7		Ret		Ret	9	8		5	9	4	6	31 (33)
9	Jack Findlay	Jada-Suzuki	7	Ret		Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret	2	Ret	Ret	3	31
10	Kim Newcombe	König	3	10					12	Ret	3	Ret	5	Ret		27
11	Guido Mandracci	Suzuki		8	2	Ret		4	10	Ret						24
12	Christian Bourgeois	Yamaha	Ret	2	5				Ret	9						20
13	Rob Bron	Suzuki	Ret	3	4			Ret								18
14	Sven-Olof Gunnarsson	Kawasaki	12	Ret				Ret			Ret	6	6	Ret	5	16
15	Jerry Lancaster	Yamaha / Suzuki	15	Ret		Ret		9	7	7			11	7		14
16	Paul Eickleberg	König	30					3	8				Ret	Ret		13
17	Mick Grant	Kawasaki					3									10
=	Bruno Spaggiari	Ducati				3										10
19	Gianpiero Zubani	Kawasaki			6	Ret		7								9
20	Sergio Baroncini	Ducati			9	7		8				14				9
21	Kevin Cowley	Seeley-Matchless					4									8
=	Hideo Kanaya	Yamaha								4						8
=	Paul Smart	Ducati				4										8
24	Lothar John	Yamaha / Suzuki	10			8			11	10		8	18	10		8
25	Piet Van der Wal	Kawasaki							Ret	13	8				7	7
26	Ernst Hiller	König / Kawasaki	5						Ret	Ret						6
=	André Pogolotti	Suzuki		5		Ret									Ret	6
28	Derek Chatterton	Yamaha					5									6
29	Eric Offenstadt	Kawasaki / Yamaha	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		Ret	Ret	6	Ret	Ret				5
30	Charlie Dobson	Kawasaki	Ret					6					Ret	Ret		5
31	Klaus Huber	Kawasaki	Ret			6										5
32	Pentti Korhonen	Yamaha												6		5
=	Charlie Williams	Yamaha					6									5
34	Kurt-Ivan Carlsson	Yamaha	14	9	Ret				13	12	Ret	10		Ret	9	5
35	Alois Maxwald	Rotax			Ret						7	11				4
36	Silvano Bertarelli	Kawasaki / Paton			7	Ret										4
37	Selwyn Griffiths	Matchless					7									4
38	Derek Lee	Suzuki	Ret			Ret								8	Ret	3
39	Clive Brown	Suzuki					8									3
=	Getulio Marcaccini	Aermacchi													8	3
41	Carlo Marelli	Paton / Kawasaki			10	9										3
42	Arpád Juhos	Metisse-Matchless / Aermacchi									9	15				2
43	Ken Araoka	Kawasaki	9	Ret	Ret	Ret										2
44	Johnny Bengtsson	Husqvarna-Proto											Ret	9		2
45	Paul Cott	Seeley					9									2
=	Seppo Kangasniemi	Yamaha										9				2
47	Roberto Gallina	Paton			Ret	Ret		10							Ret	1
48	Maurice Hawthorne	Kawasaki	Ret					Ret							10	1
49	Josef Özelt	Matchless									10	Ret				1
50	Ulf Nilsson	Suzuki											10			1
=	Charlie Sanby	Suzuki					10									1
52	Ron Chandler	Kawasaki		13					Ret	11						0
53	Kai Kuparinen	Suzuki / Kawasaki						Ret	Ret		Ret		19	11		0
54	Ted Janssen	Suzuki	27										Ret		11	0
55	Michael Schmid	Yamaha	28								11	Ret				0
56	Terry Dennehy	Honda			Ret			11					Ret			0
57	Giordano Mongardi	Ducati			11	Ret										0
58	Christian Leon	Kawasaki		11												0
=	Billy McCosh	Suzuki					11									0
60	Gyula Marsovszky	Linto	Ret	Ret		Ret			Ret		Ret	12			Ret	0
61	Steve Ellis	Yamaha	Ret	12					Ret	Ret			Ret	Ret		0
62	Morgan Radberg	Monark										Ret	12			0
63	Gustavo Cerdeña	Suzuki						12								0
=	John Hughes	Matchless			12											0
=	Stan Woods	Suzuki					12									0
66	Heinz Schmid	Suzuki	18		Ret		Ret					13				0
67	Keith Turner	Suzuki	13	Ret		Ret		Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		0
68	Jean Campiche	Linto	Ret					13		Ret						0
69	Agne Carlsson	Husqvarna											13			0
=	Jeff Wade	Yamaha					13									0
71	Kaarlo Koivuniemi	Kawasaki	20	14								16	16	Ret		0
72	Börge Andersson	Honda	23										14			0
73	Guy Cooremans	Kawasaki								14						0
=	Roger Nichols	Suzuki					14									0
75	George Fogarty	Cunningham-Suzuki					15									0
=	Jean-Paul Passet	Kawasaki		15												0
=	Jerôme van Haeltert	Kawasaki								15						0
=	Sture Wass	Kawasaki											15			0
79	Hans-Otto Butenuth	BMW	Ret	16												0
=	Walter Rüngg	Aermacchi	16		Ret											0
81	Garry Mateer	Norton					16									0
82	Werner Bergold	Kawasaki			Ret							17				0
83	Pete Elmore	Petty-Norton					17									0
=	Jacques Roca	Suzuki		17												0
=	Hans-Jürgen Rothbrust	Yamaha	17													0
=	Claus Tarum	Honda											17			0
87	Anssi Resko	Kawasaki										18		Ret		0
88	Tom Dickie	Cowles-Matchless					18									0
89	Horst Dzierzawa	Yamaha	19												Ret	0
90	Brian Lee	Aermacchi					19									0
91	Arne Andersson	Suzuki											20			0
92	Ken Tilley	Norton					20									0
93	Kurt-Harald Florin	König	21	Ret					Ret				Ret	Ret		0
94	Roger Bowler	Mularny					21									0
95	Werner Giger	Kawasaki	22	Ret												0
96	Raymond Ashcroft	Yamaha					22									0
97	Hugh Evans	Kawasaki					23									0
98	Udo Kochanski	BMW	24													0
=	Grahan Penny	Honda					24									0
100	Willi Bertsch	Kawasaki	25						Ret							0
101	Ken Kay	Seeley					25									0
102	Sten-Gunnar Jansson	Kawasaki	26													0
=	Fred Walton	Velocette-Metisse					26									0
104	Ron Baylie	Triumph					27									0
105	Walter Dawson	Yamaha					28									0
106	Otto Labitzke	Honda	29													0
=	Chris Neve	Seeley					29									0
108	Tom Loughridge	Crooks-Suzuki					30									0
109	Abe Alexander	Seeley					31									0
110	Jim Ashton	Seeley					32									0
111	Tom Waterer	Norton					33									0
112	Ernie Johnson	Suzuki					34									0
113	Geoff Barry	Oakley-Seeley					35									0
–	Karl Auer	Kawasaki	Ret		Ret	Ret					Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret		0
–	Cliff Carr	Kawasaki	Ret	Ret		Ret										0
–	André-Luc Appietto	Kawasaki		Ret	Ret					Ret						0
–	Godfrey Nash	Honda	Ret		Ret				Ret							0
–	Bohumil Stasa	ČZ			Ret	Ret						Ret				0
–	Gérard Debrock	Kawasaki		Ret						Ret						0
–	Wil Hartog	Riemanoc / Yamaha	Ret						Ret							0
–	Kari Lahtinen	Yamaha											Ret	Ret		0
–	Bob Biscardine	Norton					Ret									0
–	Jeff Boniface	Kettle-Norton					Ret									0
–	Hans Braumandl	Rotax									Ret					0
–	Peter Breingan	Honda	Ret													0
–	Robert Browne	Norton					Ret									0
–	Paolo Campanelli	Kawasaki				Ret										0
–	Doug Cash	Norton					Ret									0
–	Gérard Chamard	Kawasaki		Ret												0
–	Gérard Chaperon	Seeley			Ret											0
–	Eric Clark	Seeley											Ret			0
–	John Dodds	Yamaha								Ret						0
–	Derek Filler	Seeley					Ret									0
–	Dave Foulkes	Norton					Ret									0
–	Rudolf Fröhling	Honda	Ret													0
–	Bill Fulton	Stafford-Matchless					Ret									0
–	Roger Fursman	Seeley					Ret									0
–	Alex George	Kawasaki													Ret	0
–	Andreas Georgeades	Honda / ASG	Ret													0
–	Roger Graham	Cowles-Matchless					Ret									0
–	Don Grant	Norton					Ret									0
–	Terry Grotefeld	Yamaha					Ret									0
–	René Guilli	Kawasaki												Ret		0
–	Billie Guthrie	Dugdale-Yamaha					Ret									0
–	David Harris	Yamaha		Ret												0
–	Don Harris	Yamaha					Ret									0
–	Keith Heckles	Norton					Ret									0
–	Ari Heikkilä	AMC-Sachs												Ret		0
–	Bill Henderson	Seeley-Yamaha					Ret									0
–	Gerhard Heukerott	Benelli	Ret													0
–	Ivan Hodgkinson	Granby-Suzuki					Ret									0
–	Ewald Hüttlin	Kawasaki	Ret													0
–	Tony Jefferies	Suzuki					Ret									0
–	Walter Kaletsch	Yamaha	Ret													0
–	Brian Kemp	Suzuki		Ret												0
–	Ray Knight	Hughes-Triumph					Ret									0
–	David Knowles	Matchless-Metisse					Ret									0
–	Jiri Kral	ČZ										Ret				0
–	Alan Lawton	Norton					Ret									0
–	Mario Lega	Ducati										Ret				0
–	Pentti Lehtelä	Yamaha												Ret		0
–	Giuseppe Mandolini	Aermacchi													Ret	0
–	Hans-Josef Martinek	ČZ	Ret													0
–	Malcom Moffatt	Seeley					Ret									0
–	Brian Moses	Norton					Ret									0
–	Steve Moynihan	Norton					Ret									0
–	Garth Neveling	Norton					Ret									0
–	Lars Pahlsson	Suzuki											Ret			0
–	Giovanni Perrone	Kawasaki				Ret										0
–	Norman Price	Mularny-Norton					Ret									0
–	Eman Quirenz	Jawa										Ret				0
–	Robert Ramsey	Matchless					Ret									0
–	Phil Read	Yamaha		Ret												0
–	Dudley Robinson	Padgett-Kawasaki					Ret									0
–	Nigel Rollason	Yamaha					Ret									0
–	Roger Ruiz	Honda		Ret												0
–	Claes-Göran Samuelsson	Suzuki											Ret			0
–	Barry Smith	Kawasaki					Ret									0
–	John Stanley	Seeley					Ret									0
–	Wolfgang Stephan	Honda	Ret													0
–	Peter Stocksiefen	Honda	Ret													0
–	Anders Sundberg	Kawasaki											Ret			0
–	Roger Sutcliffe	Suzuki					Ret									0
–	Brian Taggart	Norton					Ret									0
–	Thierry Tchernine	Yamaha								Ret						0
–	Jupp Tröblinger	König	Ret													0
–	Dennis Trollope	Yamaha					Ret									0
–	Mike van Aken	König											Ret			0
–	Brian Warburton	Yamaha					Ret									0
–	Peter Williams	Arter Matchless					Ret									0
–	John Williams	Arter Matchless					Ret									0
–	Benedetto Zambotti	Kawasaki				Ret										0
Pos	Rider	Bike	GER	FRA	AUT	NAC	MAN	YUG	HOL	BEL	DDR	CZE	SWE	FIN	ESP	Pts

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

1972 350 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Giacomo Agostini	1	Italy	MV Agusta	102	6
2	Jarno Saarinen	2	Finland	Yamaha	89	3
3	Renzo Pasolini		Italy	Aermacchi	78	0
4	Dieter Braun		West Germany	Yamaha	54	0
5	Phil Read	16	United Kingdom	MV Agusta	51	1
6	Bruno Kneubühler		Switzerland	Yamaha	45	1
7	Teuvo Lansivuori	10	Finland	Yamaha	42	0
7	János Drapál		Hungary	Yamaha	42	1
9	Hideo Kanaya		Japan	Yamaha	41	0
10	Jack Findlay	32	Australia	Yamaha	41	0

1972 250 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Jarno Saarinen	3	Finland	Yamaha	94	4
2	Renzo Pasolini	28	Italy	Aermacchi	93	3
3	Rodney Gould	2	United Kingdom	Yamaha	88	2
4	Phil Read	1	United Kingdom	Yamaha	58	2
5	Teuvo Lansivuori	22	Finland	Yamaha	46	0
6	John Dodds	4	Australia	Yamaha	42	0
7	Kent Andersson	14	Sweden	Yamaha	39	0
8	Börje Jansson		Sweden	Maico	36	1
9	Silvio Grassetti	7	Italy	MZ	30	0
10	Werner Pfirter	20	Switzerland	Yamaha	28	0

1972 125 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Angel Nieto	1	Spain	Derbi	97	5
2	Kent Andersson	9	Sweden	Yamaha	87	3
3	Chas Mortimer	5	United Kingdom	Yamaha	87	1
4	Börje Jansson	3	Sweden	Maico	78	1
5	Gilberto Parlotti	8	Italy	Morbidelli	52	2
6	Dave Simmonds	6	United Kingdom	Kawasaki	44	0
7	Harald Bartol		Austria	Suzuki	37	0
8	Dieter Braun	4	West Germany	Maico	25	0
9	Jos Schurgers		Netherlands	Bridgestone	23	0
10	Bernd Köhlar	23	East Germany	MZ	23	0

1972 50 cc Roadracing World Championship final standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Angel Nieto	2	Spain	Derbi	69	3
2	Jan de Vries	1	Netherlands	Kreidler	69	3
3	Theo Timmer		Netherlands	Jamathi	50	1
4	Jan Bruins	10	Netherlands	Kreidler	39	1
5	Otello Buscherini		Italy	Malanca	32	0
6	Hans Hummel		Austria	Kreidler	26	0
7	Harald Bartol		Austria	Kreidler	26	0
8	Jan Huberts		Netherlands	Kreidler	25	0
9	Rudolf Kunz	4	West Germany	Kreidler	17	0
10	Benjamin Grau		Spain	Derbi	12	0

References

Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A.
Web site: The Official MotoGP website . 6 July 2010.

Notes and References

Web site: Rider Statistics - Jarno Saarinen . MotoGP.com . 2018-07-10 .
All I ever wanted to do was race . Oxley . Mat . 385 . 78–84 . February 2012 . Classic Bike . 0142-890X . 24 February 2012 . 25 February 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120225064524/http://www.motorcyclenews.com/Classic-Bike/ . dead .