1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1977 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 29th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.

Season summary

Suzuki saw off a strong challenge from Yamaha to take their second consecutive 500cc crown. Angel Nieto made it three 50cc titles in a row on a Bultaco while Morbidelli would win an impressive double world championship in the 125cc and 250cc divisions. Pier Paolo Bianchi successfully defended his 125cc title while fellow countryman Mario Lega captured the 250cc championship for the tiny Italian concern. The 350cc crown went to Takazumi Katayama on a factory Yamaha, making him the first-ever Japanese world champion. Barry Sheene made it two premier titles in a row, winning from two Americans, Steve Baker and Pat Hennen.

The season was marred by a terrible crash at the Austrian 350cc Grand Prix that claimed the life of Swiss rider, Hans Stadelmann and seriously injuring Johnny Cecotto, Patrick Fernandez, Dieter Braun and Franco Uncini. The accident led to a rider's strike in the 500 class, although organizers pressed on with Jack Findlay winning from a reduced field of competitors ^[1]. Despite finishing second and winning the Formula 750 title, Baker would be released by Yamaha at the end of the year. Giacomo Agostini would retire after the season, ending his seventeen year career with a record 122 Grand Prix victories and 15 World Championships.

Grands Prix

Round	Race	Location	50cc winner	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Report
1	Venezuelan Grand Prix	San Carlos		Angel Nieto	Walter Villa	Johnny Cecotto	Barry Sheene	Report
2	Austrian Grand Prix	Salzburgring		Eugenio Lazzarini			Jack Findlay	Report
3	German Grand Prix	Hockenheim	Herbert Rittberger	Pier Paolo Bianchi	Christian Sarron	Takazumi Katayama	Barry Sheene	Report
4	Nations Grand Prix	Imola	Eugenio Lazzarini	Pier Paolo Bianchi	Franco Uncini	Alan North	Barry Sheene	Report
5	Spanish Grand Prix	Jarama	Angel Nieto	Pier Paolo Bianchi	Takazumi Katayama	Michel Rougerie		Report
6	French Grand Prix	Paul Ricard		Pier Paolo Bianchi	Jon Ekerold	Takazumi Katayama	Barry Sheene	Report
7	Yugoslavian Grand Prix	Opatija	Angel Nieto	Pier Paolo Bianchi	Mario Lega	Takazumi Katayama		Report
8	Dutch TT	Assen	Angel Nieto	Angel Nieto	Mick Grant	Kork Ballington	Wil Hartog	Report
9	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa	Eugenio Lazzarini	Pier Paolo Bianchi	Walter Villa		Barry Sheene	Report
10	Swedish Grand Prix	Anderstorp	Ricardo Tormo	Angel Nieto	Mick Grant	Takazumi Katayama	Barry Sheene	Report
11	Finnish Grand Prix	Imatra		Pier Paolo Bianchi	Walter Villa	Takazumi Katayama	Johnny Cecotto	Report
12	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Brno			Franco Uncini	Johnny Cecotto	Johnny Cecotto	Report
13	British Grand Prix	Silverstone		Pierluigi Conforti	Kork Ballington	Kork Ballington	Pat Hennen	Report

Final standings

500cc standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Barry Sheene	1	United Kingdom	Suzuki	107	6
2	Steve Baker	32	United States	Yamaha	80	0
3	Pat Hennen	40	United States	Suzuki	67	1
4	Johnny Cecotto		Venezuela	Yamaha	50	2
5	Steve Parrish		United Kingdom	Suzuki	39	0
6	Giacomo Agostini	7	Italy	Yamaha	37	0
7	Franco Bonera		Italy	Suzuki	37	0
8	Philippe Coulon	6	Switzerland	Suzuki	36	0
9	Teuvo Lansivuori	2	Finland	Suzuki	35	0
10	Wil Hartog		Netherlands	Suzuki	30	1

350cc standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Takazumi Katayama	7	Japan	Yamaha	95	5
2	Tom Herron	4	United Kingdom	Yamaha	56	0
3	Jon Ekerold		South Africa	Yamaha	54	0
4	Michel Rougerie		France	Yamaha	50	1
5	Kork Ballington		South Africa	Yamaha	46	2
6	Olivier Chevallier	9	France	Yamaha	39	0
7	Christian Sarron		France	Yamaha	38	0
8	Patrick Fernandez		France	Yamaha	34	0
9	Johnny Cecotto	2	Venezuela	Yamaha	30	2
10	Alan North		South Africa	Yamaha	30	1

250cc standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Mario Lega		Italy	Morbidelli	85	1
2	Franco Uncini		Italy	Harley-Davidson	72	2
3	Walter Villa	1	Italy	Harley-Davidson	67	3
4	Takazumi Katayama		Japan	Yamaha	58	1
5	Tom Herron	4	United Kingdom	Yamaha	54	0
6	Kork Ballington		South Africa	Yamaha	49	1
7	Alan North	6	South Africa	Yamaha	43	0
8	Mick Grant		United Kingdom	Kawasaki	42	2
9	Jon Ekerold		South Africa	Yamaha	42	1
10	Patrick Fernandez		France	Yamaha	28	0

125cc standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Pier Paolo Bianchi	1	Italy	Morbidelli	131	7
2	Eugenio Lazzarini	7	Italy	Morbidelli	105	1
3	Angel Nieto	2	Spain	Bultaco	80	3
4	Jean-Louis Guignabodet	6	France	Morbidelli	62	0
5	Anton Mang	5	West Germany	Morbidelli	55	0
6	Gert Bender		West Germany	Bender	38	0
7	Harald Bartol		Austria	Morbidelli	32	0
8	Hans Müller		Switzerland	Morbidelli	32	0
9	Stefan Dörflinger		Switzerland	Morbidelli	32	0
10	Pierluigi Conforti		Italy	Morbidelli	30	1

50cc standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Angel Nieto	1	Spain	Bultaco	87	3
2	Eugenio Lazzarini	4	Italy	Kreidler	72	2
3	Ricardo Tormo		Spain	Bultaco	69	1
4	Herbert Rittberger	2	West Germany	Kreidler	53	1
5	Patrick Plisson		France	ABF	26	0
6	Stefan Dörflinger	7	Switzerland	Kreidler	26	0
7	Jean-Louis Guignabodet		France	Morbidelli	14	0
8	Hans Hummel	9	Austria	Kreidler	11	0
9	Julien van Zeebroeck	6	Belgium	Kreidler	10	0
10	Ramon Gali		Spain	Derbi	10	0

References

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