The 1985 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 37th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary Honda's Freddie Spencer gave a dominating performance becoming the first man to win the 250 and 500 championships in the same year. Defending champion Eddie Lawson finished in second with former 250 world champion, Christian Sarron coming in third. Sarron's victory at the German Grand Prix would mark the first 500cc Grand Prix victory for a non-American rider since the 1982 Swedish Grand Prix. Australian Wayne Gardner showed promise with a fourth-place finish for Honda.
With perennial champion Angel Nieto moving to the 80cc class, the 125 class was left open for his Garelli teammate, Fausto Gresini to clinch the title, giving the Italian team its fourth consecutive championship. Swiss Stefan Dörflinger would take his fourth consecutive title in the 80cc class. Angel Nieto won his 90th and final Grand Prix victory in the 80cc round in France, at the time second only to Giacomo Agostini, but since surpassed by Valentino Rossi.
1985 Grand Prix season calendar The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1985: RoundDateGrand PrixCircuit 1 23 March †† National Panasonic Motorcycle Grand Prix Kyalami 2 5 May Gran Premio de España Circuito Permanente Del Jarama 3 19 May Großer Preis von Deutschland Hockenheimring 4 26 May Gran Premio delle Nazioni Mugello 5 2 June Großer Preis von Österreich Salzburgring 6 16 June Yugoslavian Grand Prix Automotodrom Rijeka 7 29 June †† Dutch TT Assen TT Circuit Assen 8 7 July Johnson GP of Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 9 21 July Grand Prix de France Bugatti Circuit 10 4 August Marlboro British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit 11 10 August Swedish TT Scandinavian Raceway 12 1 September Grand Prix San Marino Circuito Internazionale Santa MonicaSources:
†† = Saturday race
Calendar changes The Nations Grand Prix was moved back, from 15 April to 26 May and it was moved from the Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica to the Mugello Circuit, while the San Marino Grand Prix moved from the Mugello Circuit to the Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica. The German Grand Prix moved from the Nürburgring to the Hockenheimring. The French Grand Prix was moved back, from 11 June to 21 July and it was moved from the Paul Ricard circuit to the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans.
Results and standings Grands Prix Round Date Race Location 80cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 500cc winner Report 1 23 March South African Grand Prix Kyalami Freddie Spencer Eddie Lawson Report 2 5 May Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Jorge Martínez Pier Paolo Bianchi Carlos Lavado Freddie Spencer Report 3 19 May German Grand Prix Hockenheim Stefan Dörflinger August Auinger Martin Wimmer Christian Sarron Report 4 26 May Italian Grand Prix Mugello Jorge Martínez Pier Paolo Bianchi Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer Report 5 2 June Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Fausto Gresini Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer Report 6 16 June Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Stefan Dörflinger Freddie Spencer Eddie Lawson Report 7 29 June Dutch TT Assen Gerd Kafka Pier Paolo Bianchi Freddie Spencer Randy Mamola Report 8 7 July Belgian Grand Prix Spa Fausto Gresini Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer Report 9 21 July French Grand Prix Le Mans Ángel Nieto Ezio Gianola Freddie Spencer Freddie Spencer Report 10 4 August British Grand Prix Silverstone August Auinger Anton Mang Freddie Spencer Report 11 10 August Swedish Grand Prix Anderstorp August Auinger Anton Mang Freddie Spencer Report 12 1 September San Marino Grand Prix Misano Jorge Martínez Fausto Gresini Carlos Lavado Eddie Lawson Report
Participants 500cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds Marlboro Team Agostini Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 (OW 81) 1 Eddie Lawson All 3 Raymond Roche All 26 Tadahiko Taira 4–5 Rothmans Honda/Mamola Honda Honda NS500Honda NSR500 2 Randy Mamola All Rothmans Honda/HRC Honda Honda NSR500 4 Freddie Spencer 1–11 Rothmans Honda Britain Honda Honda NS500 5 Ron Haslam All Honda NS500Honda NSR500 7 Wayne Gardner All Honda RS500 22 Roger Burnett 10 51 Roger Marshall 10 Team Gauloises Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha YZR500 (OW 81) 6 Christian Sarron All Shell-Toshiba Racing Team Honda Honda RS500 8 Boet van Dulmen All Team Honda Benelux-Elf Honda Honda NS500 9 Didier de Radiguès All 5763 Pierre-Etienne Samin 7, 9 Team Elf c/o ROC Elf-Honda Elf 2 34393231364453454033 Christian Le Liard All Cagiva Cagiva Cagiva C10 10 Virginio Ferrari 12 5843 Marco Lucchinelli 6–8, 12 Chevallier Chevallier-Honda Honda RS500 12 Thierry Espié 1, 6–8, 10–12 HB Suzuki GP Team Suzuki Suzuki RG500 (XR70) 13 Franco Uncini 1, 3–12 30 Sito Pons All Racing Team Katayama Honda Honda RS500 Bakker 14 Takazumi Katayama 2–3, 5–8 Skoal Bandit Heron Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki RG500 (XR70) 1933 Rob McElnea All 5525 Paul Lewis 10, 12 ?? Honda Honda RS500 20 Eero Hyvärinen 2–12 Myers Motorcycles Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 21 Gary Lingham 3–5, 10 ?? Paton Paton V 90 BM 4 27 Massimo Broccoli 1–2, 4–6 Zwafink + Wilbers Racing Honda Honda RS500 Bakker 28 Gustav Reiner 1, 6–12 SDC Builders Honda Honda RS500 29 Keith Huewen 1, 3–5, 10 Team Italia Honda Honda RS500 32313416 Fabio Biliotti All 42383931 Armando Errico 2–3, 6–12 575136504832 Massimo Messere 1, 6–12 Michael Baldwin Racing Honda Honda NS500 33311811 Mike Baldwin All Sid Griffiths Racing/Duckhams Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 333643 Simon Buckmaster 2–3, 5, 9–11 Team Arnetoli SuzukiPaton Suzuki RGB500Paton V 90 BM 4 4138 Marco Papa 3–4, 6–8, 12 Kreepy Krauly Racing Team Honda Honda RS500 425449383332 Dave Petersen All DAF Trucks Honda Honda RS500 4662 Karl Truchsess 3–5, 7, 10, 12 Frankonia Suzuki Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 475234 Wolfgang von Muralt All Nimag/Oud Bier Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 525637 Rob Punt 5, 7–12 Stichting Nederlands Racing Team Honda Honda RS500 5343 Henk van der Mark 2, 4–5, 7–8 54 Mile Pajic 2, 7–8 Jim Finlay Racing Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 6059 Neil Robinson 2–4, 8–10 ?? Suzuki Suzuki RGB500 ?? Andy Leuthe 4, 6, 9, 11–12 Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
250cc participants TeamConstructorMotorcycleNo.RiderRounds Massa Racing Racing Team Real-Rotax ?? 2 Manfred Herweh 1, 7–12 Venemotos Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha OW17 3 Carlos Lavado All 16 Iván Palazzese 1–5 Agrati Garelli Garelli ?? 4 Ángel Nieto ?? 32 Maurizio Vitali 1–2, 4–5, 9, 12 Marlboro Team Toni Mang Honda Honda RS250R 5 Anton Mang All Team Parisienne-Elf HondaParisienne Honda RS250R?? 6 Jacques Cornu All ParisienneHonda ??Honda RS250R 4144 Pierre Bolle 3–12 Lui-Yamaha Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha OW17 7 Martin Wimmer 1–8 Donington Park Honda Honda RS250R 9 Alan Carter All Venemotos Racing Team PernodYamaha Pernod 250GPYamaha OW17 10 Jean-François Baldé 1–3, 6, 8–12 62 Jacques Onda ?? Römer Racing Team Yamaha Yamaha OW17 13 Reinhold Roth 1–4, 6, 10–12 4844 Harald Eckl 1, 3–4, 6–7, 9–11 Honda Honda RS250R 61 Karl Grässel 3–5 E.S.T. Yamaha Yamaha OW17 14 Jean-Michel Mattioli 1–4, 6–12 Promoto E.S.T. CobasScrab ???? 15 Patrick Fernandez 1–3, 5–6 Monnet Racing EBB ?? 17 August Auinger 2–8, 10–12 Rothmans Honda/HRC Honda Honda NSR250 19 Freddie Spencer 1–10 Exactweld GB Ltd ExactweldEMC ???? 20 Gary Noel 11–12 ?? Yamaha Yamaha OW17 21 Philippe Pagano ?? ?? Yamaha Yamaha OW17 22 Jean-luc Guillemet 9 ?? YamahaCobas Yamaha OW17?? 25 Vincenzo Cascino ?? Team Heukerott Yamaha Yamaha OW17 27 Mario Rademeyer 1, 9–10, 12 Ernie Coates Racing Honda Honda RS250R 29 Joey Dunlop 10 Team Italia MalancaMBA Malanca 250 GP?? 30 Stefano Caracchi 4, 7–12 Rothmans Honda Italia Honda Honda RS250R 353337 Fausto Ricci 1–2, 4–12 J.J. Cobas Cobas-Rotax ?? 3533 Carlos Cardús All 404645 Joan Garriga 1–6, 8–12 Team Yamaha Total Yamaha Yamaha OW17 3634 Stéphane Mertens 1–2, 7–12 Silverstone Armstrong GP Team Armstrong-Rotax Armstrong CF250 393653 Donnie Mcleod 1–8, 11–12 62674959 Niall Mackenzie All ?? Cobas ?? 39 Luis Miguel Reyes 1–4, 7–9, 11 ?? Chevallier-Yamaha Yamaha OW17 4046 Jean Foray 2–3, 6–12 Aprilia Racing Team Aprilia-Rotax ?? 41 Loris Reggiani 1, 3–8, 12 Höstettler/Yamaha Yamaha Yamaha OW17 4342 Roland Freymond 2–12 Höstettler/Yamaha Rotax ?? 43 Hans Lindner 3, 5–8 RS Rallye Sport Yamaha Yamaha OW17 47140 Siegfried Minich 1, 3–12 Antonio Gutierrez Arbizu-Rotax ?? 48 Geoff Fowler ?? M.I.G MIG-Rotax ?? 4938 Jean-Louis Guignabodet 2–12 Ehrlich Automotive Ltd. EMC-Rotax ?? 50 Andy Watts ?? Dieter Braun PVM Team Yamaha Yamaha OW17 51 Hans Becker 1, 3, 5–8, 10 ?? Kobas ?? 53 Antonio Garcia Moreno ?? ?? Yamaha-KYF Yamaha OW17 54 Michel Galbit 2–3, 5–6, 11 Segura Yamaha Yamaha OW17 554247 Thierry Rapicault 2–7, 9–11 ?? YamahaRotax Yamaha OW17?? 55 Edwin Weibel 8 Rothmans Honda France Honda Honda RS250R 676360 Dominique Sarron 3–12 70 Patrick Igoa 2, 8–9 ?? MorenaRotax ???? 69 René Délaby 4, 6–8, 12 ?? YamahaKobas Yamaha OW17?? 72 Antonio Neto 4–5, 9–12 Source:Key Regular Rider Wildcard Rider Replacement Rider
500cc riders' standings Scoring system Points are awarded to the top ten finishers. A rider has to finish the race to earn points.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1