The 1978 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 30th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary There was an air of excitement at the start of the 1978 Grand Prix season. The popularity of defending champion Barry Sheene had boosted the appeal of motorcycle racing into the realm of the mass marketing media. The arrival of Kenny Roberts from America added to the anticipation. A young Spaniard, Ricardo Tormo took five of seven rounds to claim the 50 cc title for Bultaco. Italy's Eugenio Lazzarini won the 125 cc crown aboard an MBA. South Africa's Kork Ballington pulled off an impressive double, winning the 250 cc and 350 cc titles for Kawasaki, matching the double championships of Walter Villa in 1976 and Mike Hailwood in 1967.
In the 500 cc class, Suzuki returned with its defending world champion, Barry Sheene, along with teammate Pat Hennen, Wil Hartog and Teuvo Lansivuori. Yamaha's official factory team entered former 350 cc world champions Johnny Cecotto and Takazumi Katayama. Lacking a competitive bike with which to compete against Harley Davidson in the AMA Grand National Championship, Yamaha's American subsidiary decided to send its former AMA champion Roberts to compete in the 250 cc, 500 cc and Formula 750 F.I.M. road racing world championships. Roberts also secured the financial backing of the Goodyear tire company, as well as exclusive use of their tires for the season.
Sheene opened the season with a win in the Venezuelan Grand Prix. Roberts won the 250 cc Grand Prix in Venezuela but then suffered a mechanical failure in the 500 cc race. American Pat Hennen won the second round at the Spanish Grand Prix with Roberts finishing in second place and Sheene some distance back in fifth place. Roberts then won his first-ever 500 cc Grand Prix with a win at the Austrian Grand Prix, quickly followed by two more victories in France and Italy to take the championship points lead. Hennen's promising career was cut short when he suffered head injuries while competing in the Isle of Man TT at the midpoint of the season. He trailed Roberts by only a couple of points in the point standings, with Sheene some distance behind.
Cecotto won the Dutch TT with Roberts finishing ahead of a resurgent Sheene in third place. Hartog would claim the Belgian Grand Prix for Suzuki with Roberts and Sheene once again finishing in second and third places respectively. At the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix, Roberts crashed during practice for the 250 cc race, sustaining a concussion and a thumb injury. Shaken up by the accident, he could do no better than seventh place in the 500 cc race, while Sheene won the race to close the points gap on championship points leader Roberts. Hartog won his second Grand Prix of the season with a victory at the Finnish Grand Prix, while the two championship leaders, Roberts and Sheene failed to finish the race.
The two championship contenders arrived in England for the British Grand Prix with only three points separating them. The race ended in controversy when torrential rains during the race, along with pit stops for tire changes by both Roberts and Sheene, created confusion among official scorers. Eventually, Roberts was declared the winner with Sheene being awarded third place behind privateer Steve Manship, who did not stop for a tire change.
The title fight between Roberts and Sheene went down to the final race of the season, the German Grand Prix held at the daunting, Nürburgring racetrack. Suzuki privateer, Virginio Ferrari, won the first Grand Prix of his career, while Roberts finished in third place, ahead of Sheene in fourth place to claim the first world championship for an American rider in Grand Prix road racing history. Cecotto claimed third place in the final championship standings.
1978 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Race Location 50cc winner 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Report1 March 19 Venezuelan Grand Prix San Carlos Pier Paolo Bianchi Kenny Roberts Takazumi Katayama Barry Sheene Report2 April 16 Spanish Grand Prix Jarama Eugenio Lazzarini Eugenio Lazzarini Gregg Hansford Pat Hennen Report3 April 30 Austrian Grand Prix Salzburgring Eugenio Lazzarini Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report4 May 7 French Grand Prix Nogaro Pier Paolo Bianchi Gregg Hansford Gregg Hansford Kenny Roberts Report5 May 14 Nations Grand Prix Mugello Ricardo Tormo Eugenio Lazzarini Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report6 June 24 Dutch TT Assen Eugenio Lazzarini Eugenio Lazzarini Kenny Roberts Kork Ballington Johnny Cecotto Report7 July 2 Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Ricardo Tormo Pier Paolo Bianchi Paolo Pileri Wil Hartog Report8 July 23 Swedish Grand Prix Karlskoga Pier Paolo Bianchi Gregg Hansford Gregg Hansford Barry Sheene Report9 July 30 Finnish Grand Prix Imatra Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Wil Hartog Report10 August 6 British Grand Prix Silverstone Angel Nieto Anton Mang Kork Ballington Kenny Roberts Report11 August 20 German Grand Prix Nürburgring Nordschleife Ricardo Tormo Angel Nieto Kork Ballington Takazumi Katayama Virginio Ferrari Report12August 27 Czechoslovak Grand Prix Brno Ricardo Tormo Kork Ballington Kork Ballington Report13September 17 Yugoslavian Grand Prix Rijeka Ricardo Tormo Angel Nieto Gregg Hansford Gregg Hansford ReportSources:
Final standings
Scoring system Points were awarded to the top ten finishers in each race. All races counted towards the final standings.
(key)
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 Place Rider Team Machine VEN ESP AUT FRA NAT NED BEL SWE FIN GBR GER Points1 Kenny Roberts Yamaha USA YZR500 Ret 2 1 1 1 2 2 7 Ret 1 31102 Barry Sheene Heron-Suzuki RG500 1 5 3 3 5 3 3 1 Ret 3 41003 Johnny Cecotto Venemotos-Yamaha YZR500 Ret 4 2 Ret Ret 1 Ret 6 3 7 2664 Wil Hartog Riemersma Racing RG500 9 7 5 6 5 1 2 1 Ret Ret655 Takazumi Katayama Sarome & Motul Team YZR500 Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret 4 6 3 2 9 5536 Pat Hennen Heron-Suzuki RG500 2 1 Ret 2 2517 Steve Baker Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 3 6 Ret DNS 4 9 Ret 4 6 Ret 742 8 Teuvo Länsivuori RG500 7 5 Ret 7 5 8 4 5 939 9 Marco Lucchinelli RG500 Ret 4 Ret 3 Ret 7 Ret Ret 4 Ret3010 Michel Rougerie RG500 14 6 Ret 6 4 Ret Ret 11 623 11 Virginio Ferrari Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 Ret Ret Ret 17 Ret Ret Ret 5 Ret 10 122 12 Steve Parrish RG500 4 10 Ret 7 Ret 10 Ret 15 5 15 1320 13 Boet van Dulmen RG500 11 8 21 9 8 Ret 11 7 Ret 815 14 Steve Manship RG500 212 15 Christian Estrosi RG500 8 4 Ret11 16 Graziano Rossi Team Gallina Nava Olio Fiat RG500 6 12 16 14 9 Ret Ret 7 John Newbold Ray Hamblin Motorcycles RG500 Ret Ret 18 7 Ret 8 718 Roberto Pietri Venemotos Yamaha YZR500 56 Gianni Rolando Team Librenti RG500 DNQ 10 Ret 6 Ret620 Gerhard Vogt Bill Smith Racing YZR500 6 16 21 20 14 17 165 Philippe Coulon Marlboro Nava Total RG500 Ret 11 20 8 11 Ret 9 16 20522 Leandro Becheroni RG500 7 DNS4 Alex George Hermetite Racing International RG500 18 11 14 14 8 10 Ret 13 154 Jürgen Steiner Caramba Racing Team Bohme RG500 14 Ret 8 104 25 Jean Philippe Orban Team La Licorne RG500 12 Ret 8326 Carlo Perugini RG500 9 Ret2 Tom Herron RG500 Ret 92 Gianfranco Bonera Team Kiwi Yamoto RG500 9 22 13 Ret 122 Bruno Kneubühler RSS Racing Team RG500 16 10 Ret Ret Ret Ret 14 10 Ret Ret227 Dennis Ireland RG500 10 Ret Ret Ret1 Kenny Blake YZR500 101Sources:
350cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Kork Ballington5 South Africa Kawasaki13462 Takazumi Katayama1 Japan Yamaha7723 Gregg Hansford Australia Kawasaki7634 Jon Ekerold3 South Africa Yamaha 6405 Tom Herron2 United Kingdom Yamaha5006 Michel Rougerie4 France Yamaha4707 Franco Bonera Italy Yamaha3708 Patrick Fernandez8 France Yamaha3609 Victor Soussan12 Australia Yamaha34010 Olivier Chevallier6 France Yamaha270 11 Penti Korhonen Finland Yamaha20 12 Franco Uncini Italy Yamaha19 13 Paolo Pileri Italy 18 14 Mick Grant United Kingdom Kawasaki16 15 Christian Sarron France Yamaha 15 16 Anton Mang West Germany Kawasaki14 17 Patrick Pons France Yamaha9 18 Marco Lucchinelli Italy Yamaha 5 19 Guy Bertin France Yamaha5 20 Eric Saul France Yamaha4 21 Vanes Francini Italy Yamaha3 22 Raymond Roche France Yamaha3 23 Alejandro Aleman Venezuela Yamaha 2 24 Leif Gustafsson Sweden Yamaha 2 25 Peter Van Der Wal Netherlands Yamaha 2 26 Gianni Pelletier Italy Yamaha 2 27 A.Piccioni Italy Yamaha1 28 Eero Hyvärinen Finland Yamaha1 29 Hervi Moineau France Yamaha1 30 Roland Freymond Switzerland Yamaha 1 31 Mario Lega Italy 1 Sources:
250cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Kork Ballington6 South Africa Kawasaki12442 Gregg Hansford Australia Kawasaki11843 Patrick Fernandez10 France Yamaha5504 Kenny Roberts80 United States Yamaha5425 Anton Mang Germany Kawasaki5216 Tom Herron5 United Kingdom Yamaha4807 Mario Lega Italy Morbidelli4408 Franco Uncini Italy Yamaha4209 Jon Ekerold9 South Africa Yamaha40010 Paolo Pileri31 Italy Morbidelli35111 Raymond Roche France 2612 Olivier Chevallier France 2513 Jean-François Baldé France 1914 Mick Grant United Kingdom 1715 Victor Soussan Australia 1416 Walter Villa Italy 1317 Carlos Lavado Venezuela 1218 Chas Mortimer United Kingdom 1219 Penti Korhonen Finland 1020 Clive Padgett United Kingdom 521 Hans Müller Switzerland 522 Roland Freymond Switzerland 423 Ted Henter United States 324 Pekka Nurmi Finland 225 Ray Quincey Australia 226 Alejandro Aleman Venezuela 227 John Dodds Australia 228 Leif Gustafsson Sweden 129 Sadao Asami Japan 130 Eero Hyvärinen Finland 131 Marc Fontan France 132 Hervi Moineau France 133 Guy Bertin France 134 Thierry Espié France 1Sources:
125cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Eugenio Lazzarini2 Italy MBA11442 Angel Nieto3 Spain Minarelli8843 Pier Paolo Bianchi1 Italy Minarelli7044 Harald Bartol7 Austria Morbidelli6805 Thierry Espié27 France Motobécane6206 Maurizio Massimiani11 Italy Morbidelli5607 Hans Müller8 Switzerland Morbidelli4808 Per-Edward Carlsson Sweden Morbidelli4609 Jean-Louis Guignabodet France Morbidelli42010 Clive Horton United Kingdom MBA25011 Patrick Plisson jpn 2012 Matti Kinnunen Kor 1813 Stefan Dörflinger jpn 1714 Pierluigi Conforti fra 1615 August Auinger fra 1416 Christian Leon Fra 1017 Thierry Noblesse ita 918 Alejandro Aleman ita 819 Felice Agostini ita 720 Ricardo Russo Gbr 621 Cees van Dongen gbr 622 Claudio Granata gbr 523 Gert Bender isl 524 Walter Koschine Isl 525 Hiroshi isl 426 Luciano Schiavone irl 427 Hiroshi irl 328 Rolf Blatter irl 329 Henk van Kessel Spa 230 Alois Meyer spa 131 Benny Janssen spa 132 Ricardo Tormo Aus 133 Enrico Cereda Aus 134 Hiroshi aus 1Sources:
50cc standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Ricardo Tormo3 Spain Bultaco9952 Eugenio Lazzarini2 Italy Kreidler6423 Patrick Plisson5 France ABF4804 Wolfgang Müller20 West Germany Kreidler2805 Rolf Blatter17 Switzerland Kreidler2506 Stefan Dörflinger6 Switzerland Kreidler2407 Claudio Lusuardi18 Italy Bultaco2008 Peter Looijensteijn27 Netherlands Kreidler1409 Ingo Emmerich23 West Germany Kreidler14010 Aldo Pero15 Italy Kreidler13011 Angel Nieto 1212 Henk van Kessel 1113 Enrico Cereda 1114 Julien van Zeebroeck 1015 Cees van Dongen 1016 Willi Scheidhauer 1017 Hagen Klein 918 Theo Timmer 919 C.Dumont 620 Daniel Corvi 521 Gerrit Strikker 422 Luigi Rinaudo 423 Ramon Gali 324 A.Jeva 325 S.Monreale 226 Zbynek Havdra 227 J.Mira 128 Jacques Hutteau 1Sources:
References
Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A.