The 1969 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 21st FIM 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 4 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Yugoslavian Grand Prix on 14 September.
Season summary Giacomo Agostini and the MV Agusta team faced little opposition in the larger displacement classes from any major manufacturers, competing largely against privateer racers using ageing machinery. He was briefly challenged by former 125 World Champion Bill Ivy riding a 350cc Jawa two-stroke, V-four engined motorcycle. Ivy led Agostini at the 1969 350cc Dutch TT before finishing in second place. Two weeks later, Ivy was killed in an accident during practice at the Sachsenring.
The 250 class saw a tight three-way battle go down to the last race with Benelli's Kel Carruthers coming out on top against Kent Andersson and Santiago Herrero. Carruther's win would mark the last time a four-stroke machine would win the 250 championship. Kawasaki claimed their first world title with Dave Simmonds winning the 125 class. Spain's Angel Nieto won his first world championship for Derbi. It would be the first of many for the Spaniard. Former 125 world champion Bill Ivy was killed in a crash when his Jawa seized during practice for the East German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring. When Godfrey Nash rode a Norton Manx to victory at the Yugoslavian Grand Prix at the Opatija Circuit, it would mark the last time that a 500cc Grand Prix race was won on a single-cylinder machine.
1969 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 500cc winner Report 1 4 May Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Aalt Toersen Cees van Dongen Santiago Herrero Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Report 2 11 May West German Grand Prix Hockenheimring Aalt Toersen Dave Simmonds Kent Andersson Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Enders / Engelhardt Report 3 18 May French Grand Prix Le Mans Bugatti Aalt Toersen Jean Auréal Santiago Herrero Giacomo Agostini Fath / Kalauch Report 4 13 June Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Dave Simmonds Kel Carruthers Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Enders / Engelhardt Report 5 28 June Dutch TT TT Circuit Assen Barry Smith Dave Simmonds Renzo Pasolini Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Fath / Kalauch Report 6 6 July Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Barry Smith Dave Simmonds Santiago Herrero Giacomo Agostini Fath / Kalauch Report 7 13 July East German Grand Prix Sachsenring Angel Nieto Dave Simmonds Renzo Pasolini Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Report 8 20 July Czechoslovak Grand Prix Masaryk Circuit Paul Lodewijkx Dave Simmonds Renzo Pasolini Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Report 9 3 August Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Circuit Dave Simmonds Kent Andersson Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Enders / Engelhardt Report 10 16 August Ulster Grand Prix Dundrod Circuit Angel Nieto Kel Carruthers Giacomo Agostini Giacomo Agostini Enders / Engelhardt Report 11 7 September Nations Grand Prix Imola Paul Lodewijkx Dave Simmonds Phil Read Phil Read Alberto Pagani Report 12 14 September Yugoslavian Grand Prix Opatija Circuit Paul Lodewijkx Dieter Braun Kel Carruthers Silvio Grassetti Godfrey Nash Report
Final standings
Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. Only the best of five were counted on 125cc championships, best of six in 50cc, 250cc and 350cc championships and best of seven in the 500cc championship, while in the Sidecars, the best of four races were counted.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1
500cc final standings Pos Rider Machine ESP GER FRA MAN HOL BEL DDR TCH FIN ULS NAC YUG Pts 1 Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1DNS 105 (150) 2 Gyula Marsovszky Librenti / Linto 4 6 6 6 4 2 Ret 7 Ret 47 3 Godfrey Nash Norton 5 9 5 7 Ret 9 3 Ret 1 45 4 Billie Nelson Paton Ret 2 9 Ret 2 7 2 Ret 42 5 Alan Barnett Kirby-Metisse 2 3 3 Ret 32 6 Steve Ellis Linto Ret 8 Ret 3 8 3 26 7 Ron Chandler Seeley-Matchless 10 6 8 5 6 6 25 8 Gilberto Milani Aermacchi 7 4 2 Ret 24 9 Robin Fitton Norton 5 Ret 16 6 4 19 10 Brian Steenson Seeley-Matchless Ret 2 5 18 11 John Dodds Linto / Seeley-URS 4 Ret Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 18 12 Terry Dennehy Honda Ret 5 7 4 Ret 18 13 Jack Findlay Linto / Aermacchi / Matchless Ret 3 Ret Ret 5 Ret RetDNS Ret Ret Ret 16 14 Alberto Pagani Linto Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 1 15 15 Lewis Young Matchless 12 5 13 4 14 16 Karl Auer Matchless 3 10 9 Ret Ret Ret 13 17 Pentti Lehtelä Matchless 8 6 14 6 13 18 Angelo Bergamonti Paton 2 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 = Percy Tait Triumph Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret Ret 12 20 Karl Hoppe Metisse-URS / Seeley-URS 2 Ret Ret Ret 12 21 Franco Trabalzini Paton / Norton Ret Ret 2 12 22 Peter Williams Matchless 2 12 23 Bohumil Staša ČZ 12 3 9 12 24 Tom Dickie Seeley-Matchless 3 14 10 Ret 11 25 Dan Shorey Seeley / Matchless 12 9 13 8 5 Ret Ret 11 26 Malcolm Uphill Norton Ret 3 10 27 Ginger Molloy Bultaco 3 10 28 Teo Louwes Norton 4 Ret 13 9 10 29 John-Tom Findlay Norton 5 7 10 30 Walter Scheimann Norton Ret 10 15 7 6 10 31 Hannu Kuparinen Matchless 4 10 Ret 9 32 Werner Bergold Matchless 4 10 9 33 Silvano Bertarelli Paton / Aermacchi Ret 4 Ret 8 34 Derek Woodman Seeley-Matchless 4 8 35 André-Luc Appietto Paton 7 Ret Ret 8 7 36 Keith Turner Linto Ret Ret 11 Ret Ret Ret 5 6 37 Barry Scully Norton 5 Ret 6 38 Phil O'Brien Matchless 20 6 11 Ret 11 5 39 Günter Fischer Matchless 6 Ret 5 40 Maurice Hawthorne Linto / Matchless Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret 10 5 41 Paul Eickelberg Norton Ret 11 7 4 42 Steve Jolly Seeley-Matchless 7 11 4 43 Gilbert Argo Matchless 7 4 44 Kel Carruthers Aermacchi Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret 3 45 Emanuelle Maugliani Norton Ret Ret 8 3 46 John Williams Matchless-Metisse / Metisse Ret 8 3 47 Paolo Campanelli Seeley-Matchless 8 3 = Selwyn Griffiths Matchless 8 3 49 Ross Hannan Norton 31 11 9 2 50 Jack Lindh Seeley-Matchless 9 Ret 2 51 Peter Darvill Norton 9 2 = Osmo Hansen Matchless 9 2 53 Endel Kiisa Vostok 10 Ret 1 = Steve Spencer Metisse / Norton 10 Ret 1 = Alan Lawton Norton 10 1 = Wolfgang Stropek MV Agusta 10 1 57 Heinrich Rosenbusch Norton / Linto 14 11 0 58 Brian Adams Norton 11 0 = Jean-Claude Costeux Aermacchi 11 0 = Ake Dahli Kawasaki 11 0 = Ferdinand Kaczor BMW 11 0 62 Bo Granath Husqvarna / Seeley Ret Ret Ret Ret 12 12 Ret 0 63 Vittorio Brambilla Paton 12 0 = Vincent Duckett Matchless 12 0 = Jimmy Johnston Matchless 12 0 = Patrick Lefevre Norton 12 0 = René Guilli Matchless 12 0 68 Charlie Dobson Matchless Ret 13 0 69 Malcom Moffatt Matchless 13 0 = Jean-Pierre Naudon Matchless 13 0 = Armand Nerger Honda 13 0 72 Hans-Otto Butenuth BMW 14 15 0 73 Billy Andersson Crescent / Monark Ret 14 Ret 0 74 Campbell Gorman Matchless 14 0 = Lasse Johansson HM 14 0 = Thierry Tchernine Velocette 14 0 77 Ken Kay Norton / Aermacchi Ret 15 0 78 Jim Curry Aermacchi 15 0 = Keith Heckles Norton 15 0 80 Chris Neve Matchless Ret 16 0 81 Geoff Barry Matchless 16 0 = Rupert Bauer BMW 16 0 = Serge Jamsin Norton 16 0 84 Guy Cooremans Norton 17 0 = Henk Kist Honda 17 0 = Albert Spooner Norton 17 0 = Rolf Thiemig Norton 17 0 = Harry Turner Norton 17 0 89 Brian Moses Norton 18 0 = Willi Bertsch Honda 18 0 91 William Kane Matchless 19 0 92 Dave Foulkes Norton 21 0 93 Dennis Trollope Norton 22 0 94 Brian Edwards Kettle-Norton 23 0 95 Jim Ashton Matchless 24 0 96 Ray Breingan Norton 25 0 97 Adrian Cooper Harrow-Suzuki 26 0 98 Robert Reid Norton 27 0 99 Harry Reynolds Matchless 28 0 100 Derek Filler Norton 29 0 101 Ray Knight Hughes-Triumph 30 0 Pos Rider Bike ESP GER FRA MAN HOL BEL DDR CZE FIN ULS NAC YUG PtsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap
350cc Standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Giacomo Agostini Italy MV Agusta9082 Silvio Grassetti Italy Yamaha / Jawa4713 Giuseppe Visenzi Italy Yamaha4504 Heinz Rosner East Germany MZ3805 Rodney Gould United Kingdom Yamaha3606 Jack Findlay Australia Yamaha3407 Kel Carruthers Australia Aermacchi2908 Bohumil Staša Czechoslovakia ČZ2709 František Šťastný Czechoslovakia Jawa26010 Bill Ivy United Kingdom Jawa24011 Martti Pesonen Finland Yamaha160= Adolf Ohligschläger West Germany Yamaha16013 Phil Read United Kingdom Yamaha15114 Brian Steenson United Kingdom Aermacchi120= Gilberto Milani Italy Aermacchi120= Ginger Molloy New Zealand Bultaco12017 Lewis Young United Kingdom Aermacchi11018 Cecil Crawford United Kingdom Aermacchi100= Walter Scheimann West Germany Yamaha10020 Tom Dickie United Kingdom Seeley80= Karl Hoppe West Germany Yamaha80= Tony Rutter United Kingdom Yamaha80= Silvano Bertarelli Italy Aermacchi8024 Terry Grotefeld United Kingdom Yamaha6025 Herbert Denzler Switzerland Aermacchi50= Selwyn Griffiths United Kingdom AJS50= Marty Lunde United States Yamaha50= Tommy Robb United Kingdom Aermacchi50= Bruno Spaggiari Italy Ducati5030 John Trevor Findlay United Kingdom Norton40= Billy McCosh United Kingdom Aermacchi40= Brian Smith United Kingdom Aermacchi4033 Jerry Lancaster United Kingdom Aermacchi30= Karel Bojer Czechoslovakia ČZ30= Billy Guthrie United Kingdom Yamaha30= Cliff Carr United Kingdom Yamaha30= Billie Nelson United Kingdom Aermacchi30= Maurice Hawthorne United Kingdom Norton30= Dave Simmonds United Kingdom Kawasaki30= Jim Curry United Kingdom Aermacchi3042 Günter Fischer West Germany Aermacchi20= Gordon Keith Rhodesia Yamaha20= Mike Hatherill United Kingdom Aermacchi20= Jan Kostwinder Netherlands Yamaha20= Robin Fitton United Kingdom Norton20= János Drapál Hungary Aermacchi2048 Godfrey Nash United Kingdom Norton10= Roy Graham United Kingdom Aermacchi10= Leo Commu Netherlands Yamaha10= Ivar Sauter Switzerland Aermacchi10= Dave Degens United Kingdom Aermacchi10= Hannu Kuparinen Finland Yamaha10
250cc Standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Kel Carruthers Australia Benelli8932 Kent Andersson Sweden Yamaha8423 Santiago Herrero Spain Ossa8334 Renzo Pasolini Italy Benelli4535 Börje Jansson Sweden Kawasaki4506 Rodney Gould United Kingdom Yamaha4407 Heinz Rosner East Germany MZ2808 Frank Perris United Kingdom Suzuki2509 Lothar John West Germany Yamaha21010 Dieter Braun West Germany MZ20011 Günter Bartusch East Germany MZ180= Silvio Grassetti Italy Yamaha18013 Phil Read United Kingdom Yamaha15114 László Szabó Hungary MZ14015 Gilberto Parlotti Italy Benelli120= Mick Chatterton United Kingdom Yamaha12017 Martti Pesonen Finland Yamaha110= Angelo Bergamonti Italy Aermacchi11019 Klaus Huber West Germany Yamaha100= Ray McCullough United Kingdom Yamaha10021 Jean Auréal France Yamaha9022 Billy Guthrie United Kingdom Yamaha80= Chas Mortimer United Kingdom Yamaha8024 Ian Richards United Kingdom Yamaha7025 Giuseppe Visenzi Italy Yamaha60= Toni Gruber West Germany Yamaha60= Frank Whiteway United Kingdom Suzuki60= Walter Villa Italy Villa6029 Derek Chatterton United Kingdom Yamaha50= Eric Hinton Australia Yamaha50= Dave Simmonds United Kingdom Kawasaki50= František Šťastný Czechoslovakia Jawa5033 Reinhard Scholtis West Germany Kawasaki40= Eugenio Lazzarini Italy Benelli40= Stan Woods United Kingdom Yamaha40= Jack Findlay Australia Yamaha40= Pentti Korhonen Finland Yamaha4038 Jerry Lancaster United Kingdom Yamaha30= Siegfried Lohmann West Germany Suzuki30= Carlos Giró-Vila Spain Ossa30= Teuvo Lansivuori Finland Yamaha30= Dick Pipes United Kingdom Yamaha30= Heinz Kriwanek Austria Rotax30= Christian Ravel France Yamaha3045 Billie Nelson United Kingdom Yamaha20= John Ringwood United Kingdom Yamaha20= Keith Turner New Zealand Aermacchi20= Tony Rutter United Kingdom Yamaha20= Gordon Keith Rhodesia Yamaha20= Gyula Marsovszky Switzerland Yamaha2051 Matti Salonen Finland Yamaha10= Karel Bojer Czechoslovakia ČZ10
125cc Standings