The 1949 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the inaugural F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of six Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 600cc. It began on 17 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Nations Grand Prix on 4 September.
1949 Grand Prix season calendar Round Date Grand Prix Circuit 125cc winner 250cc winner 350cc winner 500cc winner Sidecars 600cc winner Report 1 17 June Isle of Man TT Snaefell Mountain Manliff Barrington Freddie Frith Harold Daniell Report 2 3 July Swiss Grand Prix Bremgarten Nello Pagani Bruno Ruffo Freddie Frith Leslie Graham Oliver / Jenkinson Report 3 9 July Dutch TT Assen Nello Pagani Freddie Frith Nello Pagani Report 4 17 July Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Freddie Frith Bill Doran Oliver / Jenkinson Report 5 20 August Ulster Grand Prix Clady Maurice Cann Freddie Frith Leslie Graham Report 6 4 September Nations Grand Prix Monza Gianni Leoni Dario Ambrosini Nello Pagani Frigerio / Dobelli Report
Standings
Scoring system Points were awarded to the top five finishers in each race with an extra point for the race finisher with the fastest lap. All rounds counted towards the championship in the 125cc, 250cc and Sidecar categories, while in the 350cc and 500cc championships, only the best three results counted.
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th Fastest lap Points 10 8 7 6 5 1
500cc final standings Pos Rider Machine MAN SUI NED BEL ULS NAT Pts 1 Leslie Graham AJS 10 1 2 Ret 1 Ret 30 (31) 2 Nello Pagani Gilera 4 1 5 3 1 29 (40) 3 Arciso Artesiani Gilera 2 3 2 Ret 2 25 (32) 4 Bill Doran AJS 8 Ret 1 4 3 23 5 Artie Bell Norton 4 Ret 4 4 2 20 (26) 6 Harold Daniell Norton 1 3 6 7 17 7 Johnny Lockett Norton 2 Ret 5 Ret Ret 13 8 Enrico Lorenzetti Moto Guzzi 10 3 7 9 Ernie Lyons Velocette 3 710 Gianni Leoni Moto Guzzi 6 Ret 6 4 611 Syd Jensen Triumph 5 Ret 9 512 Freddie Frith Velocette Ret 5 Ret Ret 513 Bruno Bertacchini Moto Guzzi Ret Ret 5 514 Jock West AJS 5 515 Ken Armstrong AJS 6 0= Cromie McCandless Norton 6 0= Fred Stevens Triumph 6 018 Ken Bills Velocette 7 Ret 10 019 Harry Turner Norton 18 7020 Umberto Masetti Gilera 7 Ret 021 Reg Armstrong AJS 7 0= Felice Benasedo Moto Guzzi 7 023 Harry Hinton Norton 9 8 16 024 George Morrison Norton 31 Ret 8 Ret025 Roger Richoz Norton 8 0= Ricardo Sabbadini Moto Guzzi 8 0= James Scott Triumph 8 028 Oscar Clemencich Gilera 9 Ret 15 029 Sante Geminiani Moto Guzzi 9 0= Hans Kaufmann Gilera 9 031 Dante Bianchi Moto Guzzi 10 0= Georges Cordey Norton 10 0= Ernie Callahan Triumph 10 034 Arthur Wheeler Triumph Ret Ret 11035 Phil Heath Norton 11 Ret 036 Adelmo Mandolini Moto Guzzi 11 0= Benoit Musy Moto Guzzi 110= Drikus Veer Triumph 11038 Oliver Scott Norton Ret 12 15039 Bill Beevers Norton 16 12 Ret Ret Ret040 Antonio Dalle Fusine Gilera 12 Ret0= Bill Petch Triumph 12 Ret042 Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera 12043 Edward Nicholls Triumph 13 9044 Guy Newman Norton 130= Nandor Puhony Gilera 130= Orlando Valdinoci Gilera 130= Albert Vertriest Triumph 13048 Alfeo Maramotti Moto Guzzi 140= Eric McPherson AJS 140= Jacques Schot Norton 140= László Szabó Gilera 140= Jules Tacheny Triumph 14053 Roy Evans Norton 150= Gerard Hoek BMW 15055 Jack Bailey Triumph 17 Ret056 Johnny Hodgkin Norton 19057 Dick Addie Norton 20058 Albert Moule Triumph 21059 George Paterson Triumph 22060 Bob Matthews Norton 23061 George Hayden Norton 24062 John Purnell Norton 25063 Lesly Hill Norton 26064 Arthur Fenn Norton 27065 Harry Francis Norton 28066 Eric Hardy Norton 29067 Jack Brett Norton 30068 Lennart Fenning Norton 32069 Rob Weston Norton 33070 Joe Glazebrook Triumph 34071 Joe Dent Norton 350- Bob Foster Moto Guzzi Ret Ret Ret Ret0- Carlo Bandirola Gilera Ret Ret Ret0- Eric Briggs Norton Ret Ret Ret0- Les Dear Norton Ret Ret Ret0- Ted Frend AJS Ret Ret Ret0- Fergus Anderson Moto Guzzi Ret Ret0- Wilf Billington Norton Ret Ret0- Norman Croft Triumph Ret Ret0- Frank Fry Norton Ret Ret0- Eric Oliver Norton Ret Ret0- Ernie Thomas Triumph Ret Ret0- David Whitworth Triumph Ret Ret0- Dario Ambrosini Gilera Ret0- Syl Anderton Triumph Ret0- Syd Barnett Norton Ret0- Jean Behra Moto Guzzi Ret0- Aldo Bernardoni Gilera Ret0- Ernie Braine Norton Ret0- Charlie Brett Velocette Ret0- Aldo Brini Gilera Ret0- Gerard Carter Norton Ret0- Javier de Ortueta Norton Ret0- Roland Dumond Moto Guzzi Ret0- Juhan Franta Moto Guzzi Ret0- Auguste Goffin Triumph Ret0- Arthur Good Norton Ret0- Hans Haldemann Moto Guzzi Ret0- Piet Knijnenburg BMW Ret0- Roger Laurent Moto Guzzi Ret0- Sid Lawton Triumph Ret0- Reg Lee Norton Ret0- Leon Martin Gilera Ret0- Reginald MacDonald Triumph Ret0- Tommy McEwans Triumph Ret0- Armando Miele Gilera Ret0- Stan Miller Norton Ret0- Bert Myers Triumph Ret0- Billy Graham Norton Ret0- Ashley Len Parry Norton Ret0- Hub Pellikaan BMW Ret0- Henry Pinnington Norton Ret0- Charlie Salt Norton Ret0- Emilio Soprani Gilera Ret0- Jan Veer Triumph Ret0- Roy Walker Norton Ret0- Tom Wycherley Norton Ret0 Pos Rider Bike MAN SUI NED BEL ULS NAT PtsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap
Constructors' 500cc World Championship Pos Constructor Pts 1 AJS 6 1 2 1 1 3 32 (48) 2 Gilera – 2 1 2 3 1 31 (46) 3 Norton 1 3 4 4 2 Ret 25 (37) 4 Moto Guzzi Ret 6 10 3 Ret 4 13 5 Velocette 3 5 Ret 10 – – 12 6 Triumph 5 Ret 11 9 8 Ret 5 – BMW – – 15 – – – 0
350cc final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Freddie Frith United Kingdom Velocette3352 Reg Armstrong Ireland AJS1803 Bob Foster United Kingdom Velocette1604 Eric McPherson Australia AJS1605 Johnny Lockett United Kingdom Norton1406 David Whitworth United Kingdom Velocette1207 Leslie Graham United Kingdom AJS808 Ernie Lyons Ireland Velocette809 Charlie Salt United Kingdom Velocette8010 Bill Doran United Kingdom AJS70
250cc final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Bruno Ruffo Italy Moto Guzzi2412 Dario Ambrosini Italy Benelli1913 Ronald Mead United Kingdom Norton1304 Maurice Cann United Kingdom Moto Guzzi1115 Claudio Mastellari Italy Moto Guzzi1106 Manliff Barrington Ireland Moto Guzzi1017 Tommy Wood United Kingdom Moto Guzzi908 Fergus Anderson United Kingdom Moto Guzzi809 Gianni Leoni Italy Moto Guzzi8010 Umberto Masetti Italy Benelli70
125cc Riders' standings Pos. Rider Bike SUI NED NAT Pts 1 Nello Pagani Mondial 1F 1F 5 27 2 Renato Magi Morini 2 4 14 3 Umberto Masetti Morini 5 DSQ 2 13 4 Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 4 3 13 5 Gianni Leoni Mondial 1F 11 6 Oscar Clemencich Mondial 2 8 7 Umberto Braga Mondial 37 7 Celeste Cavaciuti Mondial 3 7 9 Franco Bertoni MV Agusta 4 610 Giuseppe Matucci MV Agusta 5 5 Pos. Rider Bike SUI NED NAT Pts
Constructors' standings Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race. Pos. Constructor SUI NED NAT Pts 1 Mondial 1F 1F 1F 33 2 Morini 2 2 16 3 MV Agusta 4 3 13 Pos. Constructor SUI NED NAT Pts
Sidecar final standings Place Rider Number Country Machine Points Wins1 Eric Oliver / Denis Jenkinson UK Norton2722 Ercole Frigerio / Lorenzo Dobelli Italy Gilera1813 Frans Vanderschrick / Martin Whitney United Kingdom Norton1604 Ernesto Merlo / Aldo Veglio Italy Gilera1305 Albino Milani / Ezio Ricotti Italy Gilera1216 Hans Haldemann / Herbert Läderach Switzerland Norton807 Roland Benz / Max Hirzel Switzerland BMW608 Jakob Keller / Ernst Brutschi Switzerland Gilera609 Pip Harris / Neil Smith United Kingdom Norton50
References
Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A.