1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

The 1966 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 18th F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of twelve Grand Prix races in six classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc, 50cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 8 May, with Spanish Grand Prix and ended with Japanese Grand Prix on 17 October.

Season summary[]

Honda stepped up their racing program with a new four-cylinder 500cc bike, as well as bikes in the four smaller classes. Despite Honda's increased efforts, Suzuki would claim the 50cc title with Hans-Georg Anscheidt winning the championship from Honda's Luigi Taveri at the last race of the season in Japan. Yamaha would battle Honda all season for the 125 crown, each factory taking five wins, with Honda's Taveri taking the title from Yamaha's Bill Ivy.

Mike Hailwood, having left the MV Agusta team to ride for Honda, stormed to the 250 crown, winning the first eight races of the season, as Phil Read struggled with Yamaha's new v-four race bike. Hailwood would make it a double when he also claimed the 350 class ahead of MV Agusta's Giacomo Agostini. Honda's plan was for Jim Redman to lead their 500 class campaign before he retired. All started well with Redman winning the first two races of the year however, Honda's hopes were dashed when he crashed in the rain in Belgium and broke his wrist. This gave Agostini the championship lead, which he held despite Hailwood taking three of the last six races. Honda took some consolation by winning all five constructor's titles for a clean sweep.

1966 Grand Prix season calendar[]

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	50cc winner	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	8 May	Spanish Grand Prix	Montjuïc circuit	Luigi Taveri	Bill Ivy	Mike Hailwood
2	22 May	West German Grand Prix	Hockenheimring	Hans-Georg Anscheidt	Luigi Taveri	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood	Jim Redman	Scheidegger /
3	29 May	French Grand Prix	Charade Circuit			Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood		Scheidegger /
4	25 June	Dutch TT	TT Circuit Assen	Luigi Taveri	Bill Ivy	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood	Jim Redman	Scheidegger /
5	3 July	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps			Mike Hailwood		Giacomo Agostini	Scheidegger /
6	17 July	East German Grand Prix	Sachsenring		Luigi Taveri	Mike Hailwood	Giacomo Agostini	Frantisek Stastny
7	24 July	Czechoslovakian Grand Prix	Masaryk Circuit		Luigi Taveri	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood
8	7 August	Finnish Grand Prix	Imatra Circuit		Phil Read	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood	Giacomo Agostini
9	20 August	Ulster Grand Prix	Dundrod Circuit		Luigi Taveri	Ginger Molloy	Mike Hailwood	Mike Hailwood
10	2 September	Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain	Ralph Bryans	Bill Ivy	Mike Hailwood	Giacomo Agostini	Mike Hailwood	Scheidegger /	Report
11	11 September	Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Hans-Georg Anscheidt	Luigi Taveri	Mike Hailwood	Giacomo Agostini	Giacomo Agostini
12	17 October	Japanese Grand Prix	Fuji Speedway	Yoshimi Katayama	Bill Ivy	Hiroshi Hasegawa	Phil Read

Standings[]

Scoring system[]

Points were awarded to the top six finishers in each race. Only the best of four were counted on 50cc championships, best of five in 350cc and 500cc championships, best of six in 125cc and 250cc championships, while in the Sidecars, only the best of three races were counted.

500cc final standings[]

Pos Rider Machine MAN Pts 1 Giacomo Agostini MV Agusta 2 2 1 Ret 2 1 2 2 1 36 (54) 2 Mike Hailwood Honda Ret Ret Ret Ret 1 2 1 1 Ret 30 3 Jack Findlay Matchless 11 6 Ret 2 4 3 4 8 3 20 (21) 4 Frantisek Stastny Jawa-CZ 3 Ret 1 Ret Ret 3 6 Ret 17 5 Jim Redman Honda 1 1 Ret 16 6 Gyula Marsovszky Matchless 3 7 4 5 3 7 8 8 13 7 Jack Ahearn Norton 8 9 3 3 5 4 Ret 13 8 Stuart Graham Matchless 4 5 2 Ret Ret Ret 11 9 Peter Williams Matchless / AJS 9 6 7 2 7 10 Chris Conn Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret 5 3 Ret 6 11 Ron Chandler Matchless Ret 6 4 5 Ret 6 12 John Cooper Norton Ret 4 Ret 7 Ret Ret 3 13 Fred Stevens Paton / Matchless / Ret 8 14 Ret Ret 8 12 12 4 3 14 Seeley / Matchless Ret 4 3 15 Matchless 5 Ret 8 Ret 9 6 Ret 3 16 Norton 14 Ret Ret 5 10 Ret 2 17 Norton 10 Ret Ret 14 5 2 18 Norton 5 Ret 13 2 19 Matchless 6 Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 2 20 John Dodds Norton Ret 13 6 10 Ret Ret Ret 1 21 Norton Ret 6 Ret 1 22 Dan Shorey Norton 7 12 11 8 13 Ret 19 Ret 0 23 Bo Granath Matchless 7 Ret 12 9 0 24 Matchless Ret Ret 17 Ret 7 0 25 Norton Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 0 26 Matchless 7 Ret 0 27 Billie Nelson Norton 9 Ret 9 8 12 Ret 0 28 Matchless 10 9 0 29 Gustav Havel Jawa-CZ Ret 11 14 11 Ret 9 Ret 0 30 Matchless Ret Ret 9 0 31 Matchless 10 Ret 10 0 32 Kel Carruthers Norton Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 13 11 Ret 0 33 Norton Ret 10 Ret 15 21 0 34 Matchless 11 16 0 35 Norton 11 Ret 0 36 Norton 11 0 = Robin Fitton Norton 11 0 38 Norton 12 18 10 0 39 Norton Ret 12 20 0 40 Norton 12 0 41 Norton Ret 15 13 0 42 Matchless 13 20 Ret 0 43 Matchless Ret 13 Ret 0 44 Matchless 13 0 45 Matchless 14 0 = Norton 14 0 47 Godfrey Nash Norton 15 0 = Norton 15 0 49 Rudi Thalhammer Seeley / Norton / Matchless Ret 16 Ret Ret 0 = Matchless Ret Ret 16 Ret 0 51 Norton 16 0 52 Norton Ret Ret Ret 17 Ret 0 53 Matchless 17 0 54 Matchless 18 Ret 0 55 Matchless 19 Ret 0 56 Norton 21 Ret 0 57 Norton Ret Ret 22 0 58 Norton 22 0 59 Norton 23 0 = Norton 23 0 61 Matchless 24 28 0 62 Norton 24 0 63 Norton 25 0 64 Matchless 26 0 65 Matchless 27 0 66 Norton 29 0 67 Matchless 30 0 68 Norton 31 0 69 Matchless 32 0 - Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 - Norton / Ret Ret Ret 0 - Norton Ret Ret 0 - Matchless Ret Ret 0 - Derek Minter Seeley / Matchless Ret Ret 0 - Norton Ret Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - BMW Ret 0 - Kent Andersson Husqvarna Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - BMW Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Velocette Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Mike Duff Matchless Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Toshio Fujii Norton Ret 0 - AJS Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Triumph Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - BSA Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Ken Kay Matchless Ret 0 - Vincent HRD Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Tauno Nurmi Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Bianchi Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Tony Rutter Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Bill Smith Matchless Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Malcolm Uphill Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 - Matchless Ret 0 - Norton Ret 0 Pos Rider Bike MAN Pts

Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Withdrew (WD) Race cancelled (C) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Did not arrive (DNA) Excluded (EX) Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings[]

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Mike Hailwood		United Kingdom	Honda	48	6
2	Giacomo Agostini		Italy	MV Agusta	42	3
3	Renzo Pasolini		Italy	Aermacchi	17	0
4	Frantisek Stastny		Czechoslovakia	Jawa	13	0
5	Gustav Havel		Czechoslovakia	Jawa	12	0
6	Alberto Pagani		Italy	Aermacchi	11	0
7	Heinz Rosner		East Germany	MZ	10	0
8	Phil Read		United Kingdom	Yamaha	8	1
9	Jack Ahearn		Australia	Norton	8	0
10	Bruce Beale		Rhodesia	Honda	7	0
11	Tarquinio Provini		Italy	Benelli	6	0
=	Peter Williams		United Kingdom	AJS	6	0
=	Bill Ivy		United Kingdom	Yamaha	6	0
14	Silvio Grassetti		Italy	Bianchi	6	0
15	Jim Redman		Rhodesia	Honda	4	0
=	Tommy Robb		United Kingdom	Bultaco	4	0
=	Chris Conn		United Kingdom	Norton	4	0
18	Gilberto Milani		Italy	Aermacchi	3	0
=	Stuart Graham		United Kingdom	AJS	3	0
=	Kel Carruthers		Australia	Norton	3	0
=			United Kingdom	Honda	3	0
22			Czechoslovakia	Jawa	3	0
23	Dave Simmonds		United Kingdom	Honda-Norton	2	0
=			Japan	Honda	2	0
25			United Kingdom	AJS	1	0
=			United Kingdom	Norton	1	0
=	Kent Andersson		Sweden	Husqvarna	1	0

250cc Standings[]

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Mike Hailwood		United Kingdom	Honda	56	10
2	Phil Read		United Kingdom	Yamaha	34	0
3	Jim Redman		Rhodesia	Honda	20	0
4	Derek Woodman		United Kingdom	MZ	18	0
5	Stuart Graham		United Kingdom	Honda	15	0
6	Heinz Rosner		East Germany	MZ	15	0
7	Jack Findlay		Australia	Bultaco	14	0
8	Frantisek Stastny		Czechoslovakia	Jawa	11	0
9	Mike Duff		Canada	Yamaha	9	0
10	Ginger Molloy		New Zealand	Bultaco	8	1
=	Hiroshi Hasegawa		Japan	Yamaha	8	1
12	Gyula Marsovsky		Switzerland	Bultaco	8	0
13	Bill Ivy		United Kingdom	Yamaha	5	0
14	Renzo Pasolini		Italy	Aermacchi	4	0
=	Kevin Cass		Australia	Bultaco	4	0
=			United Kingdom	Villiers	4	0
=	Alberto Pagani		Italy	Aermacchi	4	0
=	Akiyasu Motohashi		Japan	Yamaha	4	0
19	Bruce Beale		Rhodesia	Honda	4	0
20	Kent Andersson		Sweden	Husqvarna	4	0
21			United Kingdom	Royal Enfield	3	0
22	Tommy Robb		United Kingdom	Bultaco	3	0
23			United Kingdom	Yamaha	2	0
=			United Kingdom	Honda	2	0
25			West Germany	Honda	1	0
=			France	Yamaha	1	0
=			Australia	Cotton	1	0
=	Bill Smith		United Kingdom	Bultaco	1	0
=	Giuseppe Visenzi		Italy	Aermacchi	1	0

125cc Standings[]

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Luigi Taveri		Switzerland	Honda	46	5
2	Bill Ivy		United Kingdom	Yamaha	40	4
3	Ralph Bryans		United Kingdom	Honda	32	0
4	Phil Read		United Kingdom	Yamaha	29	1
5	Hugh Anderson		New Zealand	Suzuki	15	0
6	Yoshimi Katayama		Japan	Suzuki	14	0
7	Frank Perris		United Kingdom	Suzuki	10	0
8	Akiyasu Motohashi		Japan	Yamaha	5	0
9	Mike Duff		Canada	Yamaha	4	0
=	Mitsuo Itoh		Japan	Suzuki	4	0
11	Tommy Robb		United Kingdom	Yamaha	3	0
12			Italy	Montesa	2	0
=	Hans-Georg Anscheidt		West Germany	Suzuki	2	0
=	Peter Williams		United Kingdom	EMC	2	0
15	José Medrano		Spain	Bultaco	1	0
=			West Germany	MZ	1	0
=	Mike Hailwood		United Kingdom	Honda	1	0
=			East Germany	MZ	1	0
=			East Germany	MZ	1	0
=			West Germany	Honda	1	0
=			Japan	Yamaha	1	0

50cc Standings[]

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Hans-Georg Anscheidt		West Germany	Suzuki	28	2
2	Ralph Bryans		United Kingdom	Honda	26	1
3	Luigi Taveri		Switzerland	Honda	26	2
4	Hugh Anderson		New Zealand	Suzuki	16	0
5	Yoshimi Katayama		Japan	Suzuki	10	1
6	Barry Smith		Australia	Derbi	3	0
=	Ernst Degner		West Germany	Suzuki	3	0
=	Mitsuo Itoh		Japan	Suzuki	3	0
9	Angel Nieto		Spain	Derbi	2	0
=			West Germany	Kreidler	2	0
=			United Kingdom	Honda	2	0
=	Tommy Robb		United Kingdom	Bridgestone	2	0
13	Cees van Dongen		Netherlands	Kreidler	1	0
=	Isao Morishita		Japan	Bridgestone	1	0
=	Dave Simmonds		United Kingdom	Honda	1	0
=			Switzerland	Derbi	1	0
=	Jack Findlay		Australia	Bridgestone	1	0

References[]

• Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949-2000. Chronosports S.A. ISBN 2-940125-32-5
• "The Official MotoGP website". Retrieved 2010-07-06.