1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

1953 F.I.M. Grand Prix motorcycle racing season

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1952

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1954

File:Geoff Duke (1951).jpg

Geoff Duke (pictured in 1951) won his second 500cc World Championship title in 1953.

File:250cc klasse. Winnaar Werner Haas op NSU, Bestanddeelnr 905-8050.jpg

Werner Haas, the 1953 125cc and 250cc World Champion.

The 1953 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season was the fifth F.I.M. Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix season. The season consisted of nine Grand Prix races in five classes: 500cc, 350cc, 250cc, 125cc and Sidecars 500cc. It began on 12 June, with Isle of Man TT and ended with Spanish Grand Prix on 4 October.

1953 Grand Prix season calendar

Round	Date	Grand Prix	Circuit	125cc winner	250cc winner	350cc winner	500cc winner	Sidecars 500cc winner	Report
1	12 June	Template:Flagicon Isle of Man TT	Snaefell Mountain	Template:Flagicon Leslie Graham	Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson	Template:Flagicon Ray Amm	Template:Flagicon Ray Amm		Report
2	27 June	Template:Flagicon Dutch TT	Assen	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti	Template:Flagicon Geoff Duke		Report
3	5 July	Template:Flagicon Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps			Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson	Template:Flagicon Alfredo Milani	Template:Flagicon Oliver / Dibben	Report
4	19 July	Template:Flagicon German Grand Prix	Schottenring	Template:Flagicon Carlo Ubbiali	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas	Template:Flagicon Carlo Bandirola †	Template:Flagicon Walter Zeller †		Report
5	2 August	Template:Flagicon French Grand Prix	Rouen-Les-Essarts			Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson	Template:Flagicon Geoff Duke	Template:Flagicon Oliver / Dibben	Report
6	15 August	Template:Flagicon Ulster Grand Prix	Dundrod	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas	Template:Flagicon Reg Armstrong	Template:Flagicon Ken Mudford	Template:Flagicon Ken Kavanagh	Template:Flagicon Smith / Nutt	Report
7	23 August	Template:Flagicon Swiss Grand Prix	Bremgarten		Template:Flagicon Reg Armstrong	Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson	Template:Flagicon Geoff Duke	Template:Flagicon Oliver / Dibben	Report
8	6 September	Template:Flagicon Nations Grand Prix	Monza	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti	Template:Flagicon Geoff Duke	Template:Flagicon Oliver / Dibben	Report
9	4 October	Template:Flagicon Spanish Grand Prix	Montjuïc	Template:Flagicon Angelo Copeta	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti		Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson		Report

† After pronouncing the track unsafe before practice had begun, all the factory teams withdrew from the 350cc and 500cc classes in the proposed German Grand Prix. The event continued, but with the agreement that these two classes were only counted as an ordinary international event.

Standings

Scoring system

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

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	8	6	4	3	2	1

500cc final standings

Pos Rider Machine MAN Template:Flagicon HOL Template:Flagicon BEL Template:Flagicon FRA Template:Flagicon ULS Template:Flagicon SUI Template:Flagicon NAC Template:Flagicon ESP Template:Flagicon Pts 1 Template:Flagicon Geoff Duke Gilera Ret 1 Ret 1 2 1 1 DNS 38 2 Template:Flagicon Reg Armstrong Gilera 3 2 3 2 4 3 4 Ret 24 (30) 3 Template:Flagicon Alfredo Milani Gilera Ret Ret 1 3 Ret 2 18 4 Template:Flagicon Ken Kavanagh Norton / Moto Guzzi Ret 3 4 4 1 Ret Ret 18 5 Template:Flagicon Ray Amm Norton 1 Ret 2 DNS 14 6 Template:Flagicon Jack Brett Norton 2 5 8 6 3 Ret 13 7 Template:Flagicon Dickie Dale Gilera Ret Ret 6 8 7 2 3 11 8 Template:Flagicon Giuseppe Colnago Gilera 4 Ret 5 4 4 11 9 Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson Moto Guzzi Ret 7 Ret 1 8 10 Template:Flagicon Rod Coleman AJS / Norton 4 Ret 5 7 7 5 Ret 7 11 Template:Flagicon Carlo Bandirola MV Agusta Ret Ret 2 6 12 Template:Flagicon Libero Liberati Gilera 3 Ret 4 13 Template:Flagicon Bill Doran AJS 5 6 11 3 14 Template:Flagicon Derek Farrant Matchless / AJS Ret 5 6 3 15 Template:Flagicon Nello Pagani Gilera 9 7 5 2 16 Template:Flagicon Cecil Sandford MV Agusta 5 Ret 2 17 Template:Flagicon Ken Mudford Norton Ret Ret 14 6 Ret 1 18 Template:Flagicon Tommy Wood Norton Ret Ret 6 1 19 Template:Flagicon Hermann Paul Müller Horex / MV Agusta Ret 6 1 20 Template:Flagicon Peter Davey Norton 6 1 21 Template:Flagicon Walter Zeller BMW Ret 7 8 Ret 0 22 Template:Flagicon Javier de Ortueta Norton 7 0 = Template:Flagicon Ted Frend Norton 7 0 24 Template:Flagicon Robin Sherry AJS 8 Ret Ret 0 25 Template:Flagicon Piet Bakker Norton 8 0 = Template:Flagicon Louis Carter Norton 8 0 = Template:Flagicon Antonio Creus Norton 8 0 = Template:Flagicon Bruno Francisi MV Agusta 8 DNS 0 29 Template:Flagicon Auguste Goffin Norton 10 Ret 9 0 = Template:Flagicon Harry Pearce Matchless 9 Ret 10 0 31 Template:Flagicon Pierre Monneret AJS / Gilera 12 9 Ret 0 32 Template:Flagicon Charlie Salt BSA 16 9 0 33 Template:Flagicon Pierre Cherrier Norton 9 0 = Template:Flagicon Léon Martin Gilera 9 0 35 Template:Flagicon John Storr Norton Ret Ret 10 0 36 Template:Flagicon Hans Baltisberger BMW 10 Ret 0 = Template:Flagicon John Grace Norton 10 Ret 0 38 Template:Flagicon Robin Fitton Norton 10 0 = Template:Flagicon Alfredo Flores Norton 10 0 = Template:Flagicon Geoff Read Norton 10 0 41 Template:Flagicon Keith Bryen Norton Ret 11 18 0 42 Template:Flagicon Laurie Boulter Norton 11 0 = Template:Flagicon Leslie Dear Norton 11 0 = Template:Flagicon Enrico Galante Norton 11 0 = Template:Flagicon Sidney Mason Norton 11 0 = Template:Flagicon Heer Meyer BMW 11 0 = Template:Flagicon Heinz Thorn-Prikker Moto Guzzi 11 0 48 Template:Flagicon Leo Simpson Matchless / AJS Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret 0 49 Template:Flagicon Jost Albisser Norton Ret 12 Ret 0 50 Template:Flagicon Felice Benasedo Moto Guzzi 12 0 = Template:Flagicon Ken Harwood AJS 12 0 = Template:Flagicon Frank Norris Norton 12 0 = Template:Flagicon Priem Rozenberg Matchless 12 0 = Template:Flagicon Siegfried Wünsche DKW 12 0 55 Template:Flagicon Arthur Wheeler Matchless Ret Ret 13 15 0 56 Template:Flagicon Jack Bailey Norton 20 13 0 57 Template:Flagicon Joe Glazebrook Norton 22 13 0 58 Template:Flagicon Lodweijk Simons Matchless 13 Ret 0 59 Template:Flagicon B. Botta Norton 13 0 = Template:Flagicon Lodovico Facchinelli Gilera 13 0 = Template:Flagicon Eric Houseley Norton 13 0 62 Template:Flagicon Ray Laurent Norton 15 9 14 0 63 Template:Flagicon Malcolm Templeton Matchless 14 Ret 0 = Template:Flagicon Leonard Williams Norton Ret 14 0 65 Template:Flagicon Florian Camathias BMW 14 DNS 0 66 Template:Flagicon Keith Campbell Norton 15 DNS 0 = Template:Flagicon Arthur Feen Norton 15 0 = Template:Flagicon Antonio Ronchei Gilera 15 0 69 Template:Flagicon Charlie Gray AJS 27 16 0 70 Template:Flagicon Roger Laurent Norton 16 0 = Template:Flagicon Henri Vidonne Norton 16 0 71 Template:Flagicon Sparky Campbell Norton Ret Ret 17 0 72 Template:Flagicon Charles Bruguiere Norton Ret 17 0 73 Template:Flagicon Eric Pantlin Norton 17 0 = Template:Flagicon Karl Rührschneck Norton 17 0 75 Template:Flagicon Nick Nicholson Norton 18 0 = Template:Flagicon Ernie Oliver Norton 18 0 77 Template:Flagicon Bill Beevers Norton 19 0 = Template:Flagicon Reg MacDonald AJS 19 0 = Template:Flagicon Andrè Wuyts Norton 19 0 80 Template:Flagicon Jimmy Hayes AJS 20 0 81 Template:Flagicon Ken Swallow AJS / Norton Ret 21 0 82 Template:Flagicon Les Dear Norton 21 0 83 Template:Flagicon Rally Dean Norton Ret Ret 22 0 84 Template:Flagicon George Scott AJS 23 Ret 0 85 Template:Flagicon Robert Browne AJS 23 0 86 Template:Flagicon Zachary Dean Norton 35 Ret 24 0 87 Template:Flagicon Peter Carter Matchless 24 0 88 Template:Flagicon Ray Travers Norton 25 0 = Template:Flagicon Stanley Williamson Norton 25 0 90 Template:Flagicon Fred Pusey Norton 26 0 = Template:Flagicon Roy Walker Norton 26 0 92 Template:Flagicon Jackie Joseph Wood Norton 27 0 93 Template:Flagicon Eric Hardy AJS 28 0 94 Template:Flagicon Kel Prince AJS 29 0 95 Template:Flagicon Sid Franklen AJS 30 0 96 Template:Flagicon Luis Gilbert AJS 31 0 97 Template:Flagicon Llewelyn Ranson AJS 32 0 98 Template:Flagicon John Fisher AJS 33 0 99 Template:Flagicon Bob McDonald AJS 34 0 100 Template:Flagicon Jack Harding Norton 36 0 – Template:Flagicon Tony McAlpine Norton Ret Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Harold Clark Matchless / Norton Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti Moto Guzzi Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Peter Murphy Matchless Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Ernie Ring Matchless / AJS Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Friedel Schön Horex Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Barry Stormont Norton Ret Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Fritz Kläger Horex Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Georges Monneret Gilera / Matchless Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Humphrey Ranson Norton Ret Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Barde Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Syd Barnett Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Ernie Barrett Phoenix-JAP Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Francis Basso Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Carletto Bellotti Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon George Brown Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Georges Burgaff Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon John Clark AJS Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon John Cooper Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Archie Fenn Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Giulio Galbiati Moto Guzzi Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Martino Giani MV Agusta DNS Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Leslie Graham MV Agusta Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Francesco Guglielminetti Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon William Hall Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Phil Heath Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Robert Herbert Triumph Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon August Hobl DKW Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Karl Hoffman DKW Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Kuno Johansson Triumph Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Cyril Julian Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Rudolf Knees Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Dick Knox Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Gordon Laing Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon George Leigh Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Umberto Masetti Gilera Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Bob Matthews Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Alexander Mayer Norton Ret DNS 0 – Template:Flagicon Tommy McEwan Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Bob McIntyre Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon John McKay Triumph Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon George Morgan Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Mike O'Rourke Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Fred Passmore Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Jacques Raffeld Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Bob Rowbottom AJS Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Ron Rudge Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Simon Sandys-Winsch Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Roland Schnell Horex Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Emilio Soprani Gilera Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Sven Sørensen Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Leo Starr Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Henk Steman Matchless Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Edouard Texidor Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Harry Turner Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Geoff Walker Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Sid Willis Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Vic Willoughby Norton Ret 0 – Template:Flagicon Tito Forconi MV Agusta DNS 0 – Template:Flagicon Juan Leal Norton DNS 0 – Template:Flagicon Albert Moule Norton DNS 0 – Template:Flagicon Leonard Parry DKW DNS 0 – Template:Flagicon Bill Petch Norton DNS 0 Pos Rider Bike MAN Template:Flagicon HOL Template:Flagicon BEL Template:Flagicon FRA Template:Flagicon ULS Template:Flagicon SUI Template:Flagicon NAC Template:Flagicon ESP Template:Flagicon Pts

Colour Result Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Template:Msrslt Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

350cc Standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	34	3
2	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti		Italy	Moto Guzzi	26	2
3	Template:Flagicon Ray Amm		Southern Rhodesia	Norton	18	1
4	Template:Flagicon Ken Kavanagh		Australia	Norton	18	0
5	Template:Flagicon Jack Brett		United Kingdom	Norton	12	0
6	Template:Flagicon Rod Coleman		New Zealand	AJS	9	0
7	Template:Flagicon Ken Mudford		New Zealand	Norton	8	1
8	Template:Flagicon Bob McIntyre		United Kingdom	AJS	6	0
=	Template:Flagicon Pierre Monneret		France	AJS	6	0
10	Template:Flagicon Duilio Agostini		Italy	Moto Guzzi	4	0
11	Template:Flagicon August Hobl		Germany	DKW	3	0
=	Template:Flagicon Josef Albisser		Switzerland	Norton	3	0
=	Template:Flagicon Harry Pearce		United Kingdom	Velocette	3	0
14	Template:Flagicon Bill Doran		United Kingdom	AJS	3	0
=	Template:Flagicon Derek Farrant		United Kingdom	AJS	3	0
16	Template:Flagicon Tommy Wood		United Kingdom	Norton	2	0
=	Template:Flagicon Ernie Ring		Austria	AJS	2	0
=	Template:Flagicon Leo Simpson		New Zealand	AJS	2	0
=	Template:Flagicon Malcolm Templeton		United Kingdom	AJS	2	0
20	Template:Flagicon Karl Hoffman		Germany	DKW	1	0
=	Template:Flagicon Ray Laurent		New Zealand	Norton	1	0
=	Template:Flagicon Ken Harwood		United Kingdom	AJS	1	0
=	Template:Flagicon Tony McAlpine		Australia	Norton	1	0

250cc Standings

Place	Rider	Number	Country	Machine	Points	Wins
1	Template:Flagicon Werner Haas		Germany	NSU	28	2
2	Template:Flagicon Reg Armstrong		United Kingdom	NSU	23	2
3	Template:Flagicon Enrico Lorenzetti		Italy	Moto Guzzi	22	2
4	Template:Flagicon Fergus Anderson		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	22	1
5	Template:Flagicon Alano Montanari		Italy	Moto Guzzi	19	0
6	Template:Flagicon Ken Kavanagh		Australia	Moto Guzzi	6	0
7	Template:Flagicon Siegfried Wünsche		Germany	DKW	6	0
8	Template:Flagicon August Hobl		Germany	DKW	6	0
9	Template:Flagicon Otto Daiker		Germany	NSU	6	0
10	Template:Flagicon Arthur Wheeler		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	4	0
11	Template:Flagicon Walter Reichert		Germany	NSU	3	0
12	Template:Flagicon Tommy Wood		United Kingdom	Moto Guzzi	3	0
13	Template:Flagicon Wolfgang Brandt		Germany	NSU	2	0
=	Template:Flagicon Sid Willis		Australia	Velocette	2	0
15	Template:Flagicon Umberto Masetti		Italy	NSU	1	0
=	Template:Flagicon Rupert Hollaus		Austria	Moto Guzzi	1	0

125cc

Riders' standings

Pos. Rider Bike MAN Template:Flagicon NED Template:Flagicon GER Template:Flagicon ULS Template:Flagicon NAT Template:Flagicon ESP Template:Flagicon Pts 1 Template:Flagicon Werner Haas NSU 2 1F 2F 1F 1F 30 (36) 2 Template:Flagicon Cecil Sandford MV Agusta 3 3 2 2 20 3 Template:Flagicon Carlo Ubbiali MV Agusta 2 1 3 NCF 18 4 Template:Flagicon Angelo Copeta MV Agusta 4 4 4 1 17 5 Template:Flagicon Leslie Graham MV Agusta 1F 8 6 Template:Flagicon Otto Daiker NSU 3 4 7 7 Template:Flagicon Emilio Mendogni Morini 2 6 8 Template:Flagicon Wolfgang Brandt NSU 5 4 5 9 Template:Flagicon Reg Armstrong NSU 3 4 9 Template:Flagicon Rupert Hollaus NSU 3 4 11 Template:Flagicon Luigi Zinzani Morini 4 3 12 Template:Flagicon Arnold Jones MV Agusta 5 2 12 Template:Flagicon Drikus Veer Morini 5 2 12 Template:Flagicon Walter Reichert NSU 5 2 12 Template:Flagicon Tito Forconi MV Agusta 5 2 12 Template:Flagicon Marcelo Cama Montesa 5 2 17 Template:Flagicon Bill Webster MV Agusta 6 1 17 Template:Flagicon Lo Simons MV Agusta 6 1 17 Template:Flagicon Karl Lottes MV Agusta 6 1 17 Template:Flagicon Fron Purslow MV Agusta 6 1 17 Template:Flagicon Paolo Campanelli MV Agusta 6 1 17 Template:Flagicon Georg Braun Mondial 6 1 Pos. Rider Bike MAN Template:Flagicon NED Template:Flagicon GER Template:Flagicon ULS Template:Flagicon NAT Template:Flagicon ESP Template:Flagicon Pts

Constructors' standings

Each constructor is awarded the same number of points as their best placed rider in each race.

As MV Agusta and NSU had equal number of points, identical ranks obtained in all races, and equal number of races in which they classified, their finishing time in each of the six races was added up. MV Agusta's total time is 36.1 seconds quicker than NSU's total time, and was declared the constructors' champion.

Pos.	Constructor	MAN Template:Flagicon	NED Template:Flagicon	GER Template:Flagicon	ULS Template:Flagicon	NAT Template:Flagicon	ESP Template:Flagicon	Pts
1	Template:Flagicon MV Agusta	1	2	1	2	3	1	30 (40)
4	Template:Flagicon NSU	2	1	2	1	1	3	30 (40)
3	Template:Flagicon Morini		4			2		9
4	Template:Flagicon Montesa						5	2
5	Template:Flagicon Mondial		6				6	2
Pos.	Constructor	MAN Template:Flagicon	NED Template:Flagicon	GER Template:Flagicon	ULS Template:Flagicon	NAT Template:Flagicon	ESP Template:Flagicon	Pts

References

• Büla, Maurice & Schertenleib, Jean-Claude (2001). Continental Circus 1949–2000. Chronosports S.A. Template:ISBN