1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
The 1980 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the 32nd F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship season.
Season summary
's Kenny Roberts claimed his third successive 500cc world championship in a season shortened by the cancellations of the Venezuelan and Austrian rounds. Randy Mamola took over at Suzuki from Barry Sheene. Kawasaki returned to the 500cc class with a monocoque, four cylinder bike for Kork Ballington. Honda soldiered on with its exotic four-stroke NR500 but began to realize it was at a disadvantage against its two-stroke opposition.There were only six rounds in the 350cc class that saw South Africa's Jon Ekerold, a true privateer, take the championship from the Kawasaki factory-sponsored Anton Mang. Mang would take the 250cc crown from defending champion Ballington while Pier Paolo Bianchi won the 125cc title. Eugenio Lazzarini won a tight battle from Swiss Stefan Dörflinger to take the 50cc championship by only 2 points.
1980 Grand Prix season calendar
The following Grands Prix were scheduled to take place in 1980:Round | Date | Grand Prix | Circuit |
1 | 11 May | ![]() | Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica |
2 | 18 May | ![]() | Circuito Permanente Del Jarama |
3 | 25 May | ![]() | Circuit Paul Ricard |
4 | 15 Jun | ![]() | Automotodrom Rijeka |
5 | 28 June | ![]() | TT Circuit Assen |
6 | 6 July | ![]() | Circuit Zolder |
7 | 27 July | ![]() | Imatra Circuit |
8 | 10 August | ![]() | Silverstone Circuit |
9 | 17 August | ![]() | Brno Circuit |
10 | 24 August | ![]() | Nürburgring-Nordschleife |
Calendar changes
- The Venezuelan and Swedish Grand Prix was taken off the calendar due to financial problems.
- The Austrian Grand Prix, originally scheduled for April, was eventually cancelled due to snowy conditions on race week. It was the last Grand Prix to have all races cancelled until the 2018 British Grand Prix.
- The German Grand Prix was moved back, from 6 May to 24 August.
- The German Grand Prix moved from the Hockenheimring to the Nürburgring-Nordschleife.
- The French Grand Prix was moved forward, from 2 September to 25 May.
- The French Grand Prix moved from the Bugatti Circuit in Le Mans to the Paul Ricard circuit.
- The Belgian Grand Prix moved from the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps to the Circuit Zolder due to problems with the new track last year.
Results and standings
1980 Grand Prix season results
Participants
500cc participants
;Notes- * The 500cc did not participate in rounds 4 and 9 of the championship, the Yugoslav and Czechoslovak GPs.
- ** Katayama raced with the Suzuki for the first four races until the Honda was ready.
- *** Ballington missed some races due to an injury.
- **** Pons was killed in a racing accident at the British GP.
500cc riders' standings
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 |
Place | Rider | Team | Machine | NAT![]() | ESP![]() | FRA![]() | NED![]() | BEL![]() | FIN![]() | GBR![]() | GER![]() | Points |
1 | ![]() | Yamaha International | YZR500 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 87 |
2 | ![]() | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 72 |
3 | ![]() | Nava Gallina-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 2 | 3 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 3 | 1 | 59 |
4 | ![]() | Uncini-Suzuki | RG500 | 2 | 7 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 50 |
5 | ![]() | Nava Gallina-Suzuki | RG500 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 2 | Ret | 13 | 4 | Ret | 38 |
6 | ![]() | Riemersma Racing | RG500 | Ret | Ret | 19 | 5 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 31 | |
7 | ![]() | Venemotos-Yamaha | YZR500 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 6 | Ret | 5 | 6 | 31 | |
8 | ![]() | Heron-Suzuki | RG500 | Ret | 12 | 5 | 8 | 4 | 13 | 2 | 29 | |
9 | ![]() | IMN-Yamaha | YZR500 | DNS | 15 | Ret | 1 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 8 | 20 |
10 | ![]() | Honda-HRC | RG500/NR500 | 6 | 4 | 6 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 12 | 18 | |
11 | ![]() | Team Gattina | RG500 | 5 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 7 | 7 | Ret | 9 | 17 |
12 | ![]() | Team Kawasaki | KR500 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 11 | 13 | ||
13 | ![]() | Frankonia-Suzuki | RG500 | 9 | 8 | 16 | Ret | 11 | 8 | 8 | Ret | 11 |
14 | ![]() | IMN-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | 18 | 19 | 4 | 9 | Ret | 16 | Ret | 10 |
15 | ![]() | Akai-Yamaha | YZR500 | 7 | 5 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 10 | ||
16 | ![]() | Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 10 | 8 | 6 | Ret | 10 | |
17 | ![]() | Ecurie Ste Pernod | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 7 | Ret | 14 | 4 | ||
18 | ![]() | Ecurie Ste Pernod | RG500 | DNQ | 11 | 7 | 14 | Ret | 15 | Ret | 4 | |
19 | ![]() | Team Furygan Suzuki | RG500 | 8 | 16 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 3 | ||
20 | ![]() | RG500 | 9 | DNQ | 25 | 2 | ||||||
21 | ![]() | Yamaha International | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 12 | DNQ | 15 | 9 | Ret | 15 | 2 |
22 | ![]() | Elf-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | 9 | 22 | Ret | DNQ | 18 | Ret | Ret | 2 |
23 | ![]() | Sonauto Gauloises-Yamaha | YZR500 | Ret | DNQ | 11 | DNQ | 12 | 10 | 14 | 1 | |
24 | ![]() | Nava Kucera Racing Team | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 22 | 10 | 1 | |||
25 | ![]() | GME Motul GPA | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 15 | 10 | Ret | Ret | 1 | ||
26 | ![]() | Mitsui-Yamaha | YZR500 | 15 | DNQ | 10 | 1 | |||||
27 | ![]() | RG500 | 10 | Ret | 21 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 1 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 11 | 23 | 13 | 13 | 0 | ||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 18 | Ret | 11 | 16 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | Ret | 11 | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | DNQ | 11 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 18 | 12 | 14 | Ret | 19 | Ret | 0 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 12 | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 12 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 19 | 20 | 13 | Ret | DNQ | 0 | ||||
![]() | RG500 | 13 | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 14 | 14 | 16 | Ret | Ret | 23 | 0 | |||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | 14 | 0 | |||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 14 | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 16 | 23 | 18 | 0 | |||
![]() | RG500 | 16 | Ret | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | 17 | DNQ | 17 | 17 | 0 | ||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 17 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | 17 | Ret | 0 | |||
![]() | YZR500 | 17 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 18 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 19 | 25 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 19 | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 20 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 20 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Morbidelli | Ret | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 21 | 0 | |||||
![]() | RG500 | 21 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 22 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | 24 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 26 | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 27 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 28 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | 29 | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | Ret | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 0 | ||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | Sol/Bimota | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | DNS | DNS | 0 | |||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | Ret | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Kawasaki | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | Ret | 0 | |||||||
![]() | Kawasaki | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Cagiva | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | Ret | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNS | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | |||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | DNQ | 0 | ||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | RG500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | YZR500 | DNQ | 0 | |||||||||
![]() | Yamato | DNQ | 0 |