1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
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| 1981 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season | |
| Previous: 1980 | Next: 1982 |
The 1981 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 33rd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Contents |
[edit] Season summary
Suzuki riders Marco Lucchinelli and Randy Mamola battled it out to the final race of the season with the Italian rider claiming the crown and Mamola finishing runner-up for the second consecutive year. Barry Sheene would win the final race of his career with a win in Sweden while a young American named Freddie Spencer made his first foray into the GP world, riding the four-stroke Honda NR500 up to fifth place at the British Grand Prix before it broke down.
Germany's Anton Mang scored double world championships, defeating defending champion Jon Ekerold for the 350cc title and winning ten of twelve 250 events to take that title. Frenchman Michel Rougerie, who finished second in 1975 250 championship, was killed when he was hit by another rider after crashing in the 350 race in Yugoslavia. Angel Nieto won his tenth championship by winning eight of twelve rounds on his Minarelli while Ricardo Tormo won the 50cc crown for Bultaco.
[edit] Grands Prix
[edit] Final standings
[edit] 500cc standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Marco Lucchinelli |
3 | Italy | Suzuki | 105 | 5 |
| 2 |  Randy Mamola |
2 | United States | Suzuki | 94 | 2 |
| 3 | Kenny Roberts |
1 | United States | Yamaha | 74 | 2 |
| 4 |  Barry Sheene |
7 | United Kingdom | Yamaha | 72 | 1 |
| 5 |  Graeme Crosby |
8 | New Zealand | Suzuki | 68 | 0 |
| 6 |  Boet van Dulmen |
Netherlands | Yamaha | 64 | 0 | |
| 7 | Jack Middelburg |
9 | Netherlands | Suzuki | 60 | 1 |
| 8 |  Kork Ballington |
South Africa | Kawasaki | 43 | 0 | |
| 9 |  Marc Fontan |
France | Yamaha | 25 | 0 | |
| 10 |  Hiroyuki Kawasaki |
Japan | Suzuki | 19 | 0 |
[edit] 350cc standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Anton Mang |
2 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 103 | 5 |
| 2 | Jon Ekerold |
1 | South Africa | Kawasaki | 52 | 2 |
| 3 | Jean-François Baldé |
3 | France | Kawasaki | 49 | 0 |
| 4 | Patrick Fernandez |
10 | France | Yamaha | 46 | 1 |
| 5 |  Carlos Lavado |
Venezuela | Yamaha | 41 | 0 | |
| 6 | Keith Huewen |
United Kingdom | Yamaha | 29 | 0 | |
| 7 | Thierry Espié |
France | Yamaha | 24 | 0 | |
| 8 |  Jacques Cornu |
7 | Switzerland | Yamaha | 20 | 0 |
| 9 | Eric Saul |
6 | France | Yamaha | 18 | 0 |
| 10 |  Graeme McGregor |
Australia | Yamaha | 14 | 0 |
[edit] 250cc standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anton Mang |
1 | West Germany | Kawasaki | 160 | 10 |
| 2 | Jean-François Baldé |
3 | France | Kawasaki | 95 | 1 |
| 3 | Roland Freymond |
5 | Switzerland | Ad Majora | 72 | 0 |
| 4 | Carlos Lavado |
6 | Venezuela | Yamaha | 56 | 0 |
| 5 | Patrick Fernandez |
10 | France | Yamaha | 43 | 0 |
| 6 | Jean-Louis Guignabodet |
France | Kawasaki | 36 | 0 | |
| 7 | Jean-Louis Tournadre |
France | Yamaha | 34 | 0 | |
| 8 | Martin Wimmer |
West Germany | Yamaha | 33 | 0 | |
| 9 | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Belgium_(civil).svg.png){kind=small} Didier de Radiguès |
Belgium | Yamaha | 26 | 0 | |
| 10 | Richard Schlachter |
United States | Yamaha | 25 | 0 |
[edit] 125cc standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg/22px-Flag_of_Spain_(1977-1981).svg.png){kind=small} Angel Nieto |
3 | Spain | Minarelli | 140 | 8 |
| 2 | Loris Reggiani |
6 | Italy | Minarelli | 95 | 2 |
| 3 | Pier Paolo Bianchi |
1 | Italy | MBA | 84 | 0 |
| 4 | Hans Müller |
Switzerland | MBA | 58 | 0 | |
| 5 | Jacques Bolle |
France | Motobécane | 55 | 0 | |
| 6 | Guy Bertin |
2 | France | Sanvenero | 40 | 1 |
| 7 | Ivan Palazzese |
Venezuela | MBA | 37 | 0 | |
| 8 | Ricardo Tormo |
2 | Spain | Sanvenero | 36 | 1 |
| 9 | Maurizio Vitali |
Italy | MBA | 36 | 0 | |
| 10 |  Hugo Vignetti |
Argentina | MBA | 30 | 0 |
[edit] 50cc standings
| Place | Rider | Number | Country | Machine | Points | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ricardo Tormo |
4 | Spain | Bultaco | 90 | 6 |
| 2 | Theo Timmer |
7 | Netherlands | Bultaco | 65 | 1 |
| 3 | Stefan Dörflinger |
2 | Switzerland | Kreidler | 51 | 1 |
| 4 |  Hans Hummel |
3 | Austria | Sachs | 43 | 0 |
| 5 | Hagen Klein |
West Germany | Kreidler | 40 | 0 | |
| 6 | Rolf Blatter |
Switzerland | Kreidler | 39 | 0 | |
| 7 | Henk van Kessel |
5 | Netherlands | Kreidler | 36 | 0 |
| 8 | Giuseppe Ascarerri |
Italy | Minarelli | 28 | 0 | |
| 9 | Claudio Lusuardi |
8 | Italy | Villa | 23 | 0 |
| 10 | George Looijesteyn |
Netherlands | Kreidler | 21 | 0 |
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