The 1982 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 34th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary Italian Franco Uncini on the Roberto Gallina backed Suzuki took a well-earned championship for Roberto Gallina's Italian Suzuki team in the 500cc class.
Yamaha introduced a new motorcycle with a V4 engine for Kenny Roberts but, suffered from having to develop a new bike during the season. Roberts was also now using Dunlop tires after Goodyear withdrew from motorcycle racing.
Honda abandoned its NR500 four-stroke in favor of a V3 two-stroke NS500 piloted by American newcomer, Freddie Spencer, defending champion Marco Lucchinelli and veteran Takazumi Katayama. Spencer would give Honda its first 500cc win since the 1967 season and its first with a two-stroke.
Kawasaki would continue to campaign its KR500 with rider Kork Ballington but developing a new motorcycle proved to be difficult, and after three years in the 500cc class without being able to recreate the same success they had experienced in the smaller classes, they made the decision to withdraw from world championship competition after the 1982 season leaving Ballington without a job.
Roberts injured a finger and a knee at the British Grand Prix and would miss the remainder of the season. Barry Sheene was lying third in the championship, tied on points with Roberts after eight rounds however, his season was brought to a premature end while testing the new Yamaha V4. He hit the obscured fallen machine of Frenchman Patrick Igoa during practice at Silverstone and badly broke both legs and an arm. Most of the factory sponsored riders boycotted the French round at Nogaro in protest of the unsafe track conditions.
Anton Mang successfully defended his 350 title for Kawasaki despite winning only one race. He would be the final 350 world champion as the class would be discontinued after 1982. Mang lost his 250 crown to Jean-Louis Tournadre by one point despite winning five races. Tournadre's only victory would be at the boycotted French round. The Frenchman would become France's first world champion. Angel Nieto clinched his eleventh title in the 125 class on a Garelli. In the 50cc class, Eugenio Lazzarini and Stefan Dörflinger traded wins, each rider winning three races, but Dörflinger took the title because of his three second-place finishes.
1982 Grand Prix season calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1982: RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit 1 29 March Grand Prix de la Republica Argentina Autódromo Municipal de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires 2 2 May Großer Preis von Österreich Salzburgring 3 9 May Grand Prix de France Moto Circuit de Nogaro 4 23 May Gran Premio Banco Atlántico Circuito Permanente Del Jarama 5 30 May Gran Premio delle Nazioni Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica 6 26 June Dutch TT Assen TT Circuit Assen 7 4 July Grand Prix of Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 8 18 July Grand Prix of Yugoslavia Autodrom Rijeka 9 1 August Marlboro British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit 10 8 August Swedish TT Scandinavian Raceway 11 15 August Finnish GP Imatra Circuit 12 29 August Grand Prix ČSSR Brno Circuit 13 5 September Grand Prix San Marino Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello 14 26 September Großer Preis von Deutschland HockenheimringSources:
Calendar changes The German Grand Prix was moved back, from 3 May to 26 September. The French Grand Prix moved from the Paul Ricard circuit to the Circuit de Nogaro. The Nations Grand Prix moved from the Autodromo Nazionale Monza to the Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica. The Yugoslavian Grand Prix was moved back, from 31 May to 18 July. The San Marino Grand Prix was moved back, from 12 July to 5 September. The San Marino Grand Prix moved from the Autodromo Dino Ferrari to the Autodromo Internazionale del Mugello.
Results and standings 1982 Grand Prix season results Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report 1 29 March Argentine Grand Prix Buenos Aires Ángel Nieto Carlos Lavado Kenny Roberts Report 2 2 May Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Ángel Nieto Eric Saul Franco Uncini Report 3 9 May French Grand Prix Nogaro Jean-Claude Selini Jean-Louis Tournadre Jean-François Baldé Michel Frutschi Report 4 23 May Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Stefan Dörflinger Ángel Nieto Carlos Lavado Kenny Roberts Report 5 30 May Nations Grand Prix Misano Stefan Dörflinger Ángel Nieto Anton Mang Didier de Radiguès Franco Uncini Report 6 26 June Dutch TT Assen Stefan Dörflinger Ángel Nieto Anton Mang Jean-François Baldé Franco Uncini Report 7 4 July Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Ricardo Tormo Anton Mang Freddie Spencer Report 8 18 July Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Eugenio Lazzarini Eugenio Lazzarini Didier de Radiguès Franco Uncini Report 9 1 August British Grand Prix Silverstone Ángel Nieto Martin Wimmer Jean-François Baldé Franco Uncini Report 10 8 August Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp Iván Palazzese Roland Freymond Takazumi Katayama Report 11 15 August Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Iván Palazzese Christian Sarron Anton Mang Report 12 29 August Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Circuit Eugenio Lazzarini Carlos Lavado Didier de Radiguès Report 13 5 September San Marino Grand Prix Mugello Eugenio Lazzarini Anton Mang Freddie Spencer Report 14 26 September German Grand Prix Hockenheim Eugenio Lazzarini Anton Mang Manfred Herweh Randy Mamola ReportSources:
500cc riders' standings Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. A rider has to finish the race to earn points. All races counted towards the final standings.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1
Place Rider Team Machine ARG AUT FRA ESP NAT NED BEL YUG GBR SWE SMR GER Points1 Franco Uncini Gallina-Suzuki RG500 4 1 WD 3 1 1 3 1 1 Ret Ret Ret1032 Graeme Crosby Marlboro Agostini-Yamaha YZR500 Ret 4 WD 4 3 4 Ret 2 3 3 3 Ret763 Freddie Spencer HRC-Honda NS500 3 Ret WD Ret 2 Ret 1 4 2 Ret 1 Ret724 Kenny Roberts Yamaha International YZR500 1 3 WD 1 4 2 4 Ret Ret685 Barry Sheene JPS-Yamaha YZR500 2 2 WD 2 Ret 3 2 3 DNS686 Randy Mamola HB-Suzuki RG500 Ret 7 WD Ret Ret 5 5 7 5 2 2 1657 Takazumi Katayama HRC-Honda NS500 6 9 WD 6 7 8 Ret 5 Ret 1 Ret 4488 Marco Lucchinelli HRC-Honda NS500 5 Ret WD 5 5 Ret 6 8 17 5 6 5439 Kork Ballington Team Kawasaki KR500 8 Ret WD 9 6 7 8 10 7 6 7 Ret3110 Marc Fontan Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha YZR500 7 Ret WD 7 9 9 10 Ret 8 4 Ret 629 11 Virginio Ferrari HB-Suzuki RG500 Ret 17 Ret 16 6 Ret 4 225 12 Boet van Dulmen Hordo Racing YZR500 11 5 WD DNS 6 7 11 DNS 7 Ret 723 13 Loris Reggiani Gallina-Suzuki RG500 10 21 WD DNS 18 17 9 4 Ret Ret 321 14 Michel Frutschi Sanvenero Sanvenero 500 16 1 Ret Ret 19 9 Ret 12 Ret 11 17 15 Sergio Pellandini RG500 17 Ret 4 Ret Ret 11 Ret 23 Ret 9 9 8 15 16 Jack Middelburg Ergon Suzuki Racing RG500 9 Ret WD Ret Ret Ret 6 5 Ret 13 17 Frank Gross RG500 2 16 13 Ret 17 Ret Ret12 18 Steve Parrish Mitsui-Yamaha YZR500 16 3 13 14 Ret 22 18 10 Ret11 19 Leandro Becheroni RG500 8 WD 8 27 18 21 9 8 Ret11 20 Guido Paci Team MDS Belgarda YZR500 11 6 10 Ret Ret 18 26 Ret 10 127 21 Stuart Avant Guan Hoe Suzuki RG500 Ret 5 15 12 21 Ret6 22 Philippe Coulon Coulon Marlboro Tissot RG500 15 13 10 12 12 Ret 15 14 20 8 13 96 23 Seppo Rossi RG500 Ret 6 Ret Ret 17 13 15 Ret 11 Ret Ret5 24 Philippe Robinet RG500 7 DNQ DNQ Ret 19 164 25 Chris Guy Sid Griffiths Racing RG500 Ret 8 25 21 Ret 10 15 Ret4 26 Victor Palomo RG500 Ret 8 18 21 Ret DNS Ret Ret3 27 Andreas Hofmann YZR500 10 9 Ret 16 DNQ 11 14 14 Ret3 28 Peter Sjostrom RG500 13 14 10 26 Ret 19 Ret 16 17 131 29 Jon Ekerold RG500 18 12 18 Ret 16 Ret 13 Ret 101 30 Raymond Roche RG500 WD 11 10 Ret1 Lorenzo Ghiselli RG500 DNQ 12 11 15 Ret DNQ 120 Ron Haslam Honda Britain NR500 12 11 150 Graziano Rossi Marlboro Agostini Yamaha YZR500 13 14 Ret Ret 13 Ret 28 Ret Ret 110 Wolfgang von Muralt RG500 11 Ret 26 13 Ret0 Hiroyuki Kawasaki HB-Suzuki RG500 20 23 Ret 120 Bernard Fau GPA Total RG500 12 Ret WD Ret DNQ0 Dave Dean Rogersons of Wigan RG500 120 Reinhold Roth Wolfgang Kucera FKN 15 Ret 20 13 180 Guy Bertin Sanvenero Sanvenero 500 19 DNQ Ret Ret 22 14 Ret Ret0 Gary Lingham RG500 19 140 Fabio Biliotti RG500 14 20 20 27 Ret0 Roberto Pietri RG500 14 240 Børge Nielsen RG500 14 DNQ Ret0 Ernst Gschwender RG500 140 Walter Magliorati RG500 Ret DNQ 15 150 Giovanni Pelletier Morbidelli Morbidelli 500 Ret Ret 15 19 DNQ DNQ 20 240 Bent Slydal RG500 15 24 DNS Ret0 Marco Papa RG500 Ret 16 Ret Ret Ret0 Peter Huber RG500 Ret 16 Ret0 Corrado Tuzii RG500 160 Iwao Ishikawa RG500 160 Jean Lafond Claude Fior RG500 Ret 17 Ret Ret 170 Marco Greco RG500 20 17 190 Eddy Elias YZR500 17 Ret0 Peter Skold RG500 170 Josef Ragginger RG500 180 Carlos Morante RG500 180 Benny Mortensen RG500 180 Alfons Ammerschlager RG500 180 Steve Williams Fowler's of Bristol/DTR RG500 23 DNQ 190 Hans Steinhogel RG500 190 Steve Henshaw Harold Coppack Racing RG500 190 Luigi Rimoldi RG500 190 Henk de Vries Henk de Vries Motoren RG500 24 200 Raffaele Pasqual YZR500 20 29 Ret0 Kjeld Sorensen RG500 200 Josef Hage YZR500 Ret 210 Esko Kuparinen RG500 210 Peter Looijesteijn Dr Egel Banden RG500 Ret 28 DNQ 25 Ret Ret 220 Norman Brown Hector Neill Racing RG500 220 Cai Hedstrom RG500 220 Pauli Freudenlund RG500 230 Klaus Klein RG500 230 Risto Korhonen RG500 240 Bob Smith Dennis Pratt Racing RG500 250 Gerhard Treusch RG500 250 Alain Roethlisberger YZR500 270 Mark Salle RG500 280 Rinus van Kasteren RG500 290 Gustav Reiner Krauser MDS Racing Team RG500 Ret DNS Ret0 Keith Huewen Heron-Suzuki RG500 Ret DNQ DNQ Ret0 Gina Bovaird RG500 Ret DNQ0 Gary Padgett Padgetts of Batley RG500 DNQ Ret0 Anton Mang RG500 Ret0 Eduardo Aleman Venemotos Yamaha YZR500 Ret0 Vincenzo Cascino YZR500 Ret0 Fritz Kerschbaumer YZR500 Ret0 Christian le Liard RG500 Ret0 Maurice Coq RG500 Ret0 Louis-Luc Maisto RG500 Ret0 Angel Nieto Honda-HRC NS500 Ret0 Guido del Piano RG500 Ret0 Graham Wood Fowler's of Bristol/DTR YZR500 Ret0 Dennis Ireland RG500 Ret0 Paul Iddon Heron Suzuki RG500 Ret0 Rob McElnea FJ Gallen RG500 Ret0 Con Law Millar Racing YZR500 Ret0 Barry Woodland RG500 Ret0 Ake Grahn YZR500 Ret0 Chris Fisker RG500 Ret0 Kjeil Warz YZR500 Ret0 Alf Graarud YZR500 Ret0 Olivieri Cruciani RG500 Ret0 Maurizio Massimiani LMC Ret0 Attilio Riondato RG500 Ret0 Ulrich Lang Sebe Ret0 Dick Alblas RG500 DNQ0 Johan van Eijk RG500 DNQ0 Jan Olof Odeholm Kortedala MK RG500 DNQ0Sources:
350cc standings